


Time is Relative, Distance is Not

by Writerforthem



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hurt/Comfort, Kind of Alternate Universe, M/M, Other tags to be added, Parent Steve Rogers, Parent Tony Stark, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Superfamily, Until it does, where everything is beautiful and nothing hurts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2019-10-25 04:47:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17718329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writerforthem/pseuds/Writerforthem
Summary: It was happening again.  The one thing he wished would never happen again.  Flashes of ice and snow try to overwhelm him, hands gripping the controls hard enough that he can feel the material crack under his strength.  Sound seems to filter out, leaving him in thick silence that clogs his ears and vision.  Ice comes up to surround-





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been on my computer for a little over a year now. I think it's about time I finally start posting and force myself to finish it. That being said, I am constantly busy. Please be patient between updates as this is the first Avengers fic I have ever written and am still getting the hang of how each character would talk or react. 
> 
> The short fic I have posted is a piece of this one that will show up later. Thanks for the support on that one. :)

“Time is the longest distance between two places.”  
― Tennessee Williams

It was happening again. The one thing he wished would never happen again. Flashes of ice and snow try to overwhelm him, hands gripping the controls hard enough that he can feel the material crack under his strength. Sound seems to filter out, leaving him in thick silence that clogs his ears and vision. Ice comes up to surround-  


_“Steve!”_  


It’s like waking from a dream. He see’s only the alien planet below, coming up at a frightening speed now that they’ve made it through the outer layer of the atmosphere. “Tony.” That choked voice couldn’t possibly be his own.  


Clint comes back from checking the damage, leaning over to yell into the comm. “Stark! We don’t have control! It’s too damaged! What do we do?” Clint’s strong hand comes to grip Steve’s shoulder hard enough to send another stab of clarity through his brain. Keeps him in the moment.  


Tony can be heard stringing obscenities together, reminiscent of a tongue twister, but it’s Coulson that eventually answers. _“We’ve lost visual. How bad is the damage, Clint?”_  


“I don’t… I can’t tell.” His own voice bleeds into despair. “I only fly this thing on occasion, I didn’t build it!”  


_“No, I did!”_ Tony can be heard yelling in the background.  


“Dad!” Peter leans over Steve’s shoulders, arms wrapping tightly around them. Tries to keep the flashbacks he’s been told about at bay.  


_“Oh God I forgot you were in there too.”_ Tony’s voice is suddenly loud again. Having shoved Coulson out of the way most likely. _“Peter, buddy what do you see?”_  


Peter’s eyes water at the sheer terror he heard in his Dad’s voice when he realized the second person he loved most in the world was on the crashing ship. “The only reason we haven’t nosedived is because Dad has a hold on the controls,” he chokes out. “We’re hit pretty bad. Bucky tried to fix some of the damage but got hurt. We had to release the pressure lock and shut the doors to the back of the ship when something blew.”  


There’s silence on the other end. Then, _“Steve.”_  


Steve takes a shuddering breath. “I won’t let them die.” Through his terror and determination, it comes out as a hiss. He looks over at Clint. Gives him a nod.  


Clint takes the hint. Takes a shuddering breath of his own. “Phil. I’ll see you soon.” Then he grabs Peter.  


“What? No! Dad! Let go, Clint! I’m not leaving him alo- Bucky no! Let me go! Dad!”  


Steve grits his teeth through the yelling. Every fatherly instinct he has is screaming for him to comfort his son. But he can’t. Bucky will keep everyone safe. He doesn’t even turn around. “Tony.” The first tear escapes.  


_“Land that ship.”_ Tony’s voice is haggard. _“You hear me? Don’t crash it. Land it. We’ll see you soon. Okay? In a few days. We’re landing our own suffering ship before it fails us and we’ll stay where we are and make repairs, okay? Find us there and we’ll go home. Promise me, Steve.”_  


Steve’s breath catches as they barely skim over the first mountain of this foreign land. He vows to not make another promise he won’t be able to keep. So he makes the most of the last precious seconds he’s been given. His eyes lock onto the positioning system, noting the direction and distance the other ship is from theirs. Memorizes the numbers. Knows that a few days already was an impossible promise with the size of the planet he was crashing on the total opposite end of. Even if he does somehow make it. “Love you, Tony.”  


_“Steven Grant Stark!”_  


He revels in the sound of Tony’s last name attached to his own for the last time.  


The ground rushes up to meet him.

***

Bucky wakes up first, hearing groaning both to his left and right as he tries to push himself up. He lets out a sigh of relief, relaxing enough to let himself fall back down until he has a hold on the situation. “You guys okay?”  


“Peachy.” Clint manages to sit up. “How ‘bout you, Barnes?”  


“Peter?” Bucky sits up to look through the dim light at the figure who hasn’t spoken yet. “You okay?”  


“I’ll live.” He’s sitting up, leaning against the wall, arms wrapped around his knees. He looks only half aware.  


Clint looks to him worriedly at the empty sound of his voice. “Don’t do that yet, kid. We don’t know what happened. He could need our help. Let’s get out of here, okay?”  


Bucky nods, groaning as he stands. He seems to have gotten away with minor bruising besides the injuries from earlier. “C’mon, Peter.” He holds out his hand as the teenager looks up, trying to smile reassuringly. “If there’s anything I know about both of your dads, it’s that they’re too stubborn to die.”  


Peter takes his hand, wincing as he stands. He looks to the small hole in the top of their sanctuary. At the light that makes it’s way through. “This place is metal and bent to hell. How are we going to get out?”  


Bucky puts a hand to his shoulder. “Can I check you out first? It’d put my mind at ease. I don’t want Steve yelling at us for not keeping you safe.”  


Clint moves forward. “I’ll check the kid over. You use that arm of yours to get out of here.”  


Barns nods. “Report as you look.”  


Peter rolls his eyes. “I’m not a kid anymore.” He watches in amusement as Bucky stands on rubble to reach the hole and starts punching it open tiny bits at a time with his metal arm.  


“No, but you’re still our nephew,” Clint grumbles, lifting one arm at a time and rotating them. “So shut up and hold still. Arms are in good shape.” He moves down to lift Peter’s shirt to check his ribs, letting out a hiss at the bruising that runs across the bottom of his chest.  


Peter huffs. “That was Bucky. No real damage.”  


“Damn, Barnes! Steve is going to kill you when he sees this!”  


“If the kid didn’t struggle so much I wouldn’t have had to hold on so tight!”  


“I didn’t wan to leave him alone,” Peter breathes, eyes suddenly far away.  


Clint takes his face in his hands. “Peter. Steve is okay. You hear me? Remember Tony telling you about the cat?”  


Peter smiles a little. Remembers how crazy that theory made Clint. “It can be both alive and dead until you open the box.”  


Clint nods. “So no giving up until we see him. Okay?”  


Peter nods. Takes a few centering breaths. “I’m okay. You can stop examining me.” He rolls his shoulders and looks up to Bucky. “I think it’s wide enough I could get through now.”  


Bucky drops down. “Don’t go far. You hear me? We’re coming up as soon as it's big enough for us to get through, but stay out of trouble until we get out there.”  


Peter hugs him.  


Bucky winces at a spark of pain but hugs him tightly back. “We’ll find him. And then we’ll both beat him up.”  


Peter laughs, letting go to nod to Clint. Then he climbs up the wall and out, smiling at Clint’s usual grumble about how cool it would be to be able to climb walls that easily. The smile falls from his face when he stands on the top of the ruined ship, eyes taking in the destruction of the front end. _“Dad!”_

***

_“Dad?”  
_

_“Yeah?”  
_

_“Tony said you had a nightmare last night. Like I do.”  
_

_Steve looks up from his drawing, eyebrow raised. “When did you start using our first names?”  
_

_Peter rolls his eyes. “I asked a question first.”  
_

_Steve grins. “That wasn’t a question.”  
_

_Peter sighs, crossing his arms. At thirteen, Steve has noticed most of his and Tony’s jokes aren’t funny anymore. It’s weird to think that they’re raising a teenager.  
_

_Steve chuckles. “Alright. Come here.” He sets his sketchpad down and pulls Peter to sit next to him. He marvels again at how much Peter has grown when he just barely fits under his arm. “You know everyone is scared of something, right?”  
_

_Peter nods. Picks at the seam of his jeans. “I just… you’re Captain America.”  
_

_Steve chuckles. “Even Iron man and Captain America can be scared of something.” He tightens the arm over Peter's shoulders in a hug. “Just like you. That’s why we never mind when you need our company some nights.”  
_

_Peter looks up. “What was your nightmare about?”  
_

_Steve lets out a long sigh. “You sure you want to know about that?”  
_

_“You help me with my nightmares. I want to help with yours.”  
_

_He smiles softly down at his son. A super hero in his own right. “You know my story, right? We’ve talked about how I met Tony. Becoming Captain America and… crashing. Waking up in this century after being in the ice.”  
_

_Peter nods. “I had to correct our history teacher sometimes. He didn’t like that very much.”  
_

_Steve laughs. “I’m sure.” Then his smile falls a little. “Deciding to crash that plane was the right thing to do. But it was really scary for me.”  
_

_Peter’s eyes widen, suddenly realizing what it must have been like. It’s been a while since he’s thought about how his dad came to live in this century. It’s so easy to believe they’re a normal family when his dads fight over what to cook for dinner, if Tony should even attempt to cook, and who left dirty laundry in the hall.  
_

_Steve continues, slightly hesitant. He wonders how much he should tell his son. What could be too much for his still-young age. “I didn’t want to die,” he murmurs, “I just wanted to make sure no one else got hurt. But because of that, I didn’t wake up for a very long time. And… it took a while for me to get used to being here.”  
_

_“Do you like it here?”  
_

_Steve grins down at him. “Of course I do.” He hugs him close. “You and Tony are the most important things in this world to me. I don’t go a day without knowing how lucky I am to have been able to meet both of you.”  
_

_Peter hugs him tightly back. “But you still have nightmares?”  
_

_“About the plane crash. Not as much as I used to, but it still happens sometimes. Sometimes the cold makes me remember. Flying in a plane that’s having problems, like during our last mission.”  
_

_Peter looks up at him. “You know, plane crashes are actually very rare.”  
_

_Steve laughs. Leave it to Peter to go to statistics, just like Tony. “I know.”  
_

_“If you were in one though, I wouldn’t let you be alone. I promise.” He leans forward again, arms wrapping around him in a tight hug.  
_

_Steve doesn’t ask him how he planned on being there. He just takes the boy’s promise for what it is. “Thanks, buddy.”  
_

_Peter doesn’t move back to answer Steve’s earlier question. “I call you and Tony by name because you’re both ‘Dad’ to me. One isn’t more important than the other and I just really like calling you guys the same thing. I just make sure you know who I’m talking about by using your names. And… I think I’m old enough now.”  
_

_Steve hugs his son (God, his and Tony’s son! Will he ever get used to this?) tighter. “Of course you are. I appreciate it, Peter.” He blinks away the stinging in his eyes. Convincing Tony that adopting Peter was a good idea is the greatest victory he’s ever achieved._

  


Steve has one moment of heart stopping fear when silence greets his conscious mind. He doesn’t remember his time under the ice, but in his dreams it’s always an unending silence. Nothing but empty sound. Darkness. Cold. It isn’t cold right now. That’s what gets him to start climbing out of the deep emptiness his mind is hovering in. The hope that if… _when_ he opens his eyes, it won’t be to ice and snow. But to his family. To his son.  


He thinks he drifts in and out of consciousness for a while. Always coming aware to the feeling of warmth and the faint touch of earth beneath him. Each time he forces himself closer and closer to awareness. As his brain starts to come back online, he remembers a conversation with Peter. _“I wouldn’t let you be alone. I promise.”_  


He becomes aware of a pressure in his ears. A familiar pressure. He’s had busted eardrums many times before. His job is full of explosions. Close, loud, lethal to normal humans explosions. This tells him that he’s not under ice. This isn’t like his dreams. He’s hurt. He… crashed another plane. But not into the ice. Onto a planet. An alien planet. Suddenly his memory about his talk with Peter clicks into place. Another plane. But not into ice. A dull throbbing of pain starts seeping into his senses.  


He suddenly wonders if he succeeded in saving his son. If he succeeded in saving any of them. He doesn’t think Peter remembers that promise. It was years ago. But in the end, while that ship was crashing, Peter had been determined to stay with him. He would have. Steve knows it. That’s all that matters.  


He gets his eyes to open eventually. He is greeted by an intimate look at crushed pieces of plane and elements of earth that look reassuringly like their own planet Earth. As pain becomes more and more prevalent, he eventually realizes he can hear again. The first real thing he fully comprehends now that he has his hearing back is his son calling his name. It gives him the extra push he needs.  


Pain is suddenly a fire up his side as he shifts even the slightest bit, telling him that he should be grateful that he’s even alive. Lightning shocks through him with every movement, but he pushes through it to finally get up enough to lean on a good arm. His right arm hangs uselessly and he knows it’s going to take an annoyingly long time to heal. Shaky eyes settling on the ship as he breathes through the pain in his chest, he blinks in shock and wonders how any of them had survived.  


The whole front end is gone. Pieces of it are scattered through the whole area, an expanse not unlike the edge of some deserts on earth. He must have been thrown out at some point. He remembers... trees. The trees tore the cockpit apart before they made it to the flat area he had been aiming for. Spectacular shattering... then nothing. He looks over the rest of the ship, breathing a sigh of relief at the way it looks like it held up. Protection to his family. There are a few scattered fires, smoke rising up from some of the debris. He wonders if that’s a sign that there could be more hazardous fires inside the ship. They should move away from the wreckage.  


Peter is frantically clawing at the rubble near the front of the ship. Bucky is behind him, pulling Clint up out of somewhere near a section of wreckage caught in the trees some hundreds of feet away, Clint’s head shaking before they turn to presumably look somewhere else. They’re all dirty. Covered in dirt and soot. They’ve been looking for a while. They both turn to where Peter is searching, both pairs of shoulders falling as they watch him dig with fervor.  


They all look amazingly alive. With a surge of triumph, Steve musters up the energy to call out. He chokes on the first syllable, throat dry enough to send him into a coughing fit instead, sending fire up his side. By the time he gets it under control and the dizziness from the pain leaves, Bucky and Clint are helping Peter search again. Peter’s yells are getting more and more frantic. It hurts his heart.  


He tries one more time. “Peter!” He’s helpless to stop the smile that spreads across his face when his son’s eyes scan the area around him and finally land on him in shock. Then he’s waiting as Peter runs to him, Bucky right behind with Clint on his heels. When Peter falls to his knees in front of him he uses the last of his energy to throw his good arm around his son’s shoulders and pull him close, ignoring the pain that shoots through him at his son’s touch. “Love you.”  


Peter sobs into his shoulder, hands clenching in the back of Steve’s shirt as he tries not to hug him too tight. “Love you too, dad.”  


He lets himself relax then. He feels Bucky’s metal hand rest on his good shoulder and grip it tight, Clint’s hand resting lightly on the bad one. Surrounded by people he trusts with his, and more importantly his son’s life, he finally gives back in to the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate any patience in how long it'll take me to post. Though this story is mostly fleshed out, editing will take time as writing it has been done over the course of a few years. I rarely have time to write these days. Thank you to all who have responded in any way towards chapter one.

_Tony smiles down at his phone, answering the video call. “How’s my favorite person in the world doing?”_  
  
_Peter laughs. “I’m going to tell him you said that.”_  
  
_Tony scoffs. “Please. He knows you took over the moment we adopted you.”_  
  
_With a laugh, Peter turns the phone to the window of the jet. “We’re landing now. I figured you’d wanna see for yourself that he’s okay.”_  
  
_That makes Tony smile. Their son knows them so well. His eyes are locked on the screen as the two figures get closer and closer. The jet lands with a final jolt that makes the phone jerk, and he’s watching Steve and Bucky approach. He lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding all week._  
  
_“I know,” Peter murmurs, having heard it. He turns the phone back to himself. He’s smiling wide. “He looks good. It must have gone really well.”_  
  
_Tony nods. “Go give him a good hug for me.”_  
  
_The camera shows a flurry of activity then, glimpses of Clint in the pilot seat and the ramp lowering to let two figures board. Peter’s snark of “Somebody needs a shower!” makes Tony laugh out loud. His smile gets impossibly bigger when he hears Steve’s surprised voice and watches the camera swing past a bunch of things to stop at an intimate look at a very familiar jaw line._  
  
_Tony grins. “I know that jaw. I kiss along that jaw every chance I get.”_  
  
_“Tony?”_  
  
_“Ew, dad. Wait until I’m out of hearing distance please.”_  
  
_They must separate from a hug then, Steve’s face showing on the phone seconds later. His smile is warm as he makes eye contact through the technological distance. God, Tony loves technology. “Hey handsome.”_  
  
_Steve’s eyes shine. “Hey.”_  
  
_“Peter wanted to go fossil hunting. Did he only find one or did he make a double score?” He can’t help but smirk at Steve’s sigh and Bucky’s glare that shows up in the edge of the phone’s screen._  
  
_“Those jokes are getting old, Stark.”_  
  
_“Hey, just like you! What a coincidence!”_  
  
_Steve sighs, the phone suddenly held above their heads as he glares into the camera and shoves Bucky away._  
  
_Bucky, meanwhile, is trying to climb Steve. “Stark, I swear to God…”_  
  
_“Natasha thinks they’re funny.”_  
  
_Bucky’s face softens at the name and he finally stops trying to get through the brick wall named Steve._  
  
_“She’s good by the way. Says she’ll see you when you guys get back.”_  
  
_Bucky huffs. “You’re forgiven.”_  
  
_“You’re welcome, Barnes.”_  
  
_Steve shoves him out of the frame before he can get another word in. “It’s nice to see you stayed out of trouble while I was gone.”_  
  
_Tony sighs. “Only one time was my fault, Steve. One.”_  
  
_Steve grins. “I miss you.”_  
  
_Tony swallows. He never has gotten used to being with this man. “I miss you too. Unfortunately we have one more little thing to cover. I’m sure Clint will fill you in after you guys debrief and I’m sure you’ll need a nap. But I think it’ll be another two days before I’ll see you face to face.”_  
  
_Steve sighs. “It’s always something.”_  
  
_Tony tries for a reassuring smile. “It won’t be long. And hopefully uneventful. Then I’ll have you back where you belong.”_  
  
_Steve smiles a little. “I love you.”_  
  
_Tony sighs. “You’re not helping.”_  
  
_Steve grins. “I love you.”_  
  
_“And I love you. Now go. Get some rest. Barnes?”_  
  
_Bucky peeks back over Steve’s shoulder._  
  
_“Thanks for watching my man. Make him get some sleep.”_  
  
_Bucky nods. “Done deal.”_  
  
_Steve sighs fondly. “See you later, Tony.”_  
  
_Tony smiles at the sounds of Steve growling at Bucky as the phone lowers and gets handed back to Peter. “Hey, buddy.”_  
  
_Peter nods. “We’ll see you soon. Okay? If we get there at the perfect time we can even make it to your ship and not have to take our own.”_  
  
_Tony nods. “Maybe. In the meantime, stay out of trouble.”_  
  
_Peter sighs. “I’m nineteen. Not two.”_  
  
_“Love you,” Tony states pointedly, though he’s fighting a smile._  
  
_Peter sighs, but can’t help a small smile of his own. “Love you too, Dad.”_

____

  


____

It was supposed to be a peace signing. Thor had asked them to come with him just as peacekeepers and support as he settled the treaty between the two races that were dangerously close to a confrontation, which would have led them to the midpoint between their territories. Right into Earth’s own solar system. There’s no doubt that Earth would not have handled it well. They were to be representatives, voices for the peace that would keep their own home safe. Of course they accepted when Thor asked them to come. Thor rarely asked for their help with interstellar affairs.  
  
Keeping a battle away had been crucial, not knowing how far into their territory this could end up. The treaty signing had been a decision that took them to the outskirts of one of the home planets, the initiators of the treaty agreeing to travel to the other territory, hoping their easy agreement would keep the hostility at the low it has come to hover at.  
  
Coulson had come along because apparently they were all children who needed handling, never mind that they were all capable of handling themselves. Rhodey had been around at the time, on leave and keeping Tony company as he had been going crazy without Steve. He never gave up a chance to travel with the group, and agreed to come along as well. Sam came because he was around and free, an avenger but not always on call. Just in case Steve and Bucky had not finished their mission on time, he wanted to make sure the group had all the help they could get.  
  
Natasha had come along because not only had she been unable to say no to Thor, but apparently Coulson needed help keeping four grown adults out of trouble. (“One nanny for every two or three kids,” was her insulting reasoning.) Tony suspected that she just wanted to be closer to Bucky until they could all go home. Wanted to be able to see him through the windows when their ship pulled up rather than over a video feed. And maybe in person if the peace treaty went well and they were all able to land on a planet to escape confines of the ship.  
  
Steve and Bucky had been on mission when Thor had asked the rest of them to come along. They finished up just in time for Clint to pick them up at the rendezvous point, Peter tagging along after begging with both him and Tony to be there to see his dad. They’d meet up with them on their own ship.  
  
It had been a long two weeks since they’d seen Steve. Tony couldn’t begrudge his son from seeing the man he missed so much himself. With a promise from him to call him when they were together, he had relented. Peter was an adult, let alone the fact that he was his own superhero now. He technically didn’t have to ask. It was out of respect and Tony knew that. So he let him go. If he had known what disaster was in store for them, he’d have begged him to stay home.  
  
The ship with their group had been hit first, just as they were arriving to the gathered fleets of opposing species’. It was a glancing blow that had startled them more than crippled the ship. Things got hectic after that.  
  
Seconds after the initial hit, Tony is covered in his Iron Man armor, Rhodey doing the same. “What the hell was that? We just _got_ here!”  
  
Thor is gripping a chair that had caught his fall. He lets out an annoyed sound that can only be described as a growl. “The negotiations were cut short.” He motions to the view in front of them, the obvious war going on. “I don’t believe they were aiming for us.”  
  
“Guys.” Coulson gets their attention, leaning over the controls to look out the front window. “The edge of a cluster is not where we want to be.”  
  
Natasha slides into the pilot’s seat, taking it off of auto pilot as it had been traveling towards the coordinates Thor had set. She frowns at the oncoming fleet. “Everyone hold on. We need to get out of the danger zone.”  
  
Coulson rolls his eyes as Tony starts humming the song from Top Gun and turns to Thor. “Do you want us to stay?”  
  
Looking guiltily out at the beginning of a battle, Thor shakes his head. “I cannot help anyone without an army. They aren’t endangering earth and I have no way of contributing. Bringing you was to ensure the future safety of Earth. To have them meet you and see that endangering another planet was not something they should do. But… now would not be a good time for that. They have decided their fate. At least it was away from earth. Let us get to safety before anything else is decided.”  
  
_“Mac to PC, do you copy?”_  
  
Coulson sighs.  
  
Natasha looks to him, amused despite the situation. She connects the comm, but lets him answer as she steers the ship away from the start of the battle.  
  
“Clint, what did I tell you about code names?”  
  
_“That I should use them more?”_  
  
Tony cuts in before Coulson can reply. “I shudder to be associated with something as inferior as a PC.”  
  
Steve answers this time. _“Hammer Tech to Stark Tech we have visual on a confrontation. Do we engage?”_  
  
Tony gapes at the ship coming into view, leaning over Natasha to answer at the tiny speck in the distance. “I renounce you as my husband, you traitor!”  
  
“Do not engage!” Thor finishes.  
  
_“Confirmed, staying back. And I refuse the divorce proposal.”_  
  
Tony can’t help but laugh. “I missed you, Captain Sassy.”  
  
_“And now that I’m back I’m taking point, seeing as how I’m sure Thor didn’t plan for this. Retreat to a safe distance until we’re sure about what’s going to happen. Is this planet human safe, Thor?“_  
  
“It is. We could land there to regroup.”  
  
_“Okay. Let’s-”_  
  
_“Steve! Watch-!”_  
  
The fear that laced Bucky’s voice in the background sets everyone’s hairs on end. The explosion happens before most of them see the glowing speck aiming straight for the other ship. It was another random hit. That’s all it was. One random stray shot from the war now raging that managed to make impact at the exact location for a perfect crippling.  
  
Three voices cry out in anguish, the _“No!”, “James!”,_ and _“Clint!”_ resounding in mockery of a harmony. The complete silence that follows is deafening.  
  
Clint’s _“Shit!”_ breaks the silence over the coms, letting them know that it was still connected. No one says a word as they watch the tiny burning ship in the distance start to gravitate towards the closest planet, Clint’s voice fading into the background as he yells at Bucky to check the damage. All they can do is wait for an update from someone.  
  
When nothing comes, Natasha starts yelling for someone to answer her.  
  
Seeing the ship with the most important person in his life aboard it, hit and crashing towards an unknown planet, was probably the new worst thing Tony has ever seen. Hearing Natasha get no answer as she yells over the comm sets ice into his heart. Not being able to do anything about it because there’s no way off the ship without compromising the cabin pressure… he’s never felt so helpless in the armor.  
  
They’ve lost visual now, the other ship following the curve of the alien planet’s atmosphere as gravity does its work. But Tony knows what’s happening. What Steve had to be going through right now. Could picture Steve’s hands gripping the controls tight enough to hear them creak under his strength.  
  
He busies himself disengaging from the armor, trying to lower the temptation to screw cabin pressure and go to their rescue. When he’s free, he goes to stand behind the still yelling Natasha. When the silence stretches on, he leans over the comm and yells one commanding word. “Steve!”  
  
The answer comes almost immediately. _“Tony.”_  
  
Tony squeezes his eyes shut at the choked voice. Very few times has he heard Steve sound so genuinely terrified. And to think it was his own voice that was able to pull him from his past…  
  
_“Stark! We don’t have control! It’s too damaged! What do we do?”_  
  
The question breaks Tony from his silence, obscenities spewing from his mouth as he turns away from the controls and Coulson moves closer. He feels so helpless.  
  
Rhodey comes up to Tony then, Sam following and looking a little haggard. “We weren’t hit bad, but the damage is spreading. We need to land. Now.”  
  
“We’ve lost visual. How bad is the damage, Clint?” They all turn to Coulson, a hush settling when they see his slumped position.  
  
_“I don’t… I can’t tell.”_ Clint’s frustration at being helpless is evident. _“I only fly this thing on occasion, I didn’t build it!”_  
  
“No, _I_ did!” Tony’s hands come up to run through his hair, mind running through schematics of the ship. Numbers and percentages. Things that could possibly be fixed without landing. Without letting it crash. Without-  
  
_“Dad!”_  
  
And just like that, the numbers stop and his blood runs cold.  
  
Sam swears quietly behind him and Natasha freezes at the controls.  
  
Rhodey reaches out to grip Tony’s shoulder a little too tightly with the armor.  
  
Tony pulls out of the hold and shoves his way past Coulson, all but collapsing over the comm. “Oh God I forgot you were in there too. Peter, buddy what do you see?” Head hanging, he keeps his eyes closed to listen to his son’s voice. Tries to picture the scene that must be playing out on that other ship. Oh God his _family_ …  
  
_“The only reason we haven’t nosedived is because Dad has a hold on the handles,”_ Peter chokes out.  
  
Tony grits his teeth. His son should never sound so scared. Hasn’t sounded like that in a very long time. It cuts him to the bone that he isn’t there to help. To make everything better like he’s done time and again whenever he was able. The arc reactor failing is nothing to this. This, not being able to save his family… _that’s_ agony.  
  
_“We’re hit pretty bad. Bucky tried to fix some of the damage but got hurt. We had to engage the pressure lock and shut the doors to the back of the ship when something blew.”_  
  
Natasha lets out a low hiss but keeps her renewed focus on keeping their own ship steady.  
  
Tony doesn’t know what to say. There’s nothing else anyone can do. They just have to try and land that ship. He presses the heels of his hands into his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. He hates himself for what he needs to ask Steve to do. “Steve.” He chokes up. Can’t do it.  
  
Steve understands anyway. _“I won’t let them die.”_  
  
Tony lets out a grateful sigh, mentally thanking Steve for not making him ask. He smiles a little at the determination he hears in the fierce hiss.  
  
Clint speaks then. _“Phil. I’ll see you soon.”_  
  
Phil lets out a soft sigh, his back now turned to everyone.  
  
The next voice grabs everyone’s attention. _“What? No! Dad! Let go, Clint! I’m not leaving him alo- Bucky no! Let me go! Dad!”_  
  
Tony bites his lip to keep back a sob, easily picturing Clint dragging Peter back, his son almost pulling away with his superhuman strength before Bucky wraps his metal arm around him and drags him away. To a safer part of the ship. He loves his friends in that moment. Vows to thank them any way he can if they survive. He winces. _When. When_ they survive.  
  
_“Tony.”_ The shake in Steve’s voice is evident.  
  
Tony knows he hated the sound of their son calling for him just as much as he did. He pulls up the last reservations of confidence in his husband and opens his eyes. He stares fiercely at the last place he saw the ship going through the atmosphere of the alien planet though it’s out of view now. His hands grip the edge of the control panel. His knuckles are white. “Land that ship.” His voice is haggard. “You hear me? Don’t crash it. Land it. We’ll see you soon. Okay? In a few days. We’re landing our own suffering ship before it fails us and we’ll stay where we are and make repairs, okay? Find us there and we’ll go home. Promise me, Steve.”  
  
It’s quiet for a few tense seconds. Then, _“Love you, Tony.”_  
  
Tony practically bares his teeth, hearing the avoided promise. “Steven Grant Stark!”  
  
Silence.  
  
_“Steve!”_  
  
The static cuts out.  
  
Natasha sits silently next to him, eyes locked on the last place she saw the ship crashing to the planet like Tony. Tries to believe that her family could somehow survive. That Bucky could survive. She and Bucky weren’t new. But… but there were so many things she hadn’t gotten to tell him yet. Hadn’t made herself tell him. Now she wishes she didn’t hold so many cards close to her chest.  
  
Coulson turns and walks away, usually straight, imposing shoulders slumped in defeat. He and Clint had been together for a long while now. It had come to a head whenever Clint had found out that he was alive. That he hadn’t lost his chance. Coulson became a semi-permanent resident at the tower a year or so later. He’d finally given in after Clint spent hours convincing him it wasn’t always chaotic.  
  
Tony stares out the window. “No.” He shakes his head. “No!” His hands where they’re still gripping the edge of the controls make it creak.  
  
Thor moves forward, arms reaching out when he sees Tony start to shake. “Tony.” His own heart hurts for the loss of his friends. His family he had adopted and who had adopted him in return. His own turmoil gives him measure to how much more Tony must be feeling. He’s ready when the smaller man explodes.  
  
“NO!” His hand is stopped before it punches into the controls, his anger surging forward as he feels himself start to be restrained. “No, no, no, no, no!”  
  
Tears blur his vision, but he still sees Natasha reach out and start to land the ship on the planet as Thor drags him away. “Find them! Find the-!”  
  
The ship shudders as another glancing blow hits them on their other side, making Natasha swear in Russian, switching through five other languages as more alarms light up the panel in front of her. Everyone leaves her be, knowing her tells for when she is really angry. They trust her to land the ship.  
  
Coulson is the one who goes over to where Thor is dragging Tony to a seat. “Tony. You need to-“  
  
“ _Don’t_ tell me what I need to do!” Fiery eyes lock onto Coulson. “I needed to save my husband,” he hisses out. “I needed to save my _son_!” His voice cracks. “I needed to save my family and all I could do was stand there and _watch!”_  
  
Coulson doesn’t really know what to say to that. Yes, he may have lost Clint too. But losing not one, but two people you’ve come to love so dearly… Yes, Coulson cared for them all. And Natasha surely cared for her best friend and her nephew, but there’s always something about the person you choose as your own for the rest of your life. And for Tony to not only lose that, but his son he chose to adopt so long ago… Coulson has nothing reassuring to say.  
  
Rhodey sits in the seat next to him, metal arm coming to rest over his shoulders and pull him into his side. He knows Tony doesn’t find any part of the armor uncomfortable. In fact, it’s almost always a comfort. Something familiar. “There was nothing you could do,” he murmurs. His own voice is pained. Tony is his brother. Steve? Peter? They're as much family as any blood relative he has. He may have just lost a brother in law. And a nephew. Though he's reassuring Tony, the ice-cold grip of fear is settling into his own heart. He looks helplessly up to Thor when Tony doesn't answer.  
  
Thor kneels in front of him. Looks him in the eye. “They may yet still be alive. Just because the ship was damaged enough to lose contact, doesn’t mean it was damaged enough to not keep them alive.”  
  
Natasha swears again as the ship shudders, signaling their descent through the atmosphere. “We can’t go find them,” she grits out. Everyone hears how much she hates to say that. “I’m barely keeping this thing up. We’re losing altitude against my control and it’s going to be a jarring landing as it is. There aren’t many clear places to land here.” They all flinch as the swearing starts up again with new fervor when they make it through the outer layers of the atmosphere.  
  
Sam juts his jaw in determination and goes over to monitor stats and do what he can to help. If Steve is going to come back to them, he's going to actually need a family to come back to. All he can do for Steve... for Peter, Bucky, and Clint, is make sure he keeps those inside this ship alive.  
  
When Thor turns back to Tony, his gaze softens again as he sees the slumped position and empty gaze. “Brother.”  
  
That gets Tony’s attention. His eyes move over to him.  
  
Thor nods once. “They _will_ come meet us. And I am truly sorry for being the one to get us all in this place.”  
  
Tony breaks himself out of his depression, shaking his head as he leans forward to let his face fall into his hands. “It’s not your fault.” He lets out an empty laugh. “This isn’t your fault, buddy. You didn’t mean to put us in danger.”  
  
“That was not my intention, no,” Thor allows, “but I do believe that the only reason this is happening is because I asked you to come.”  
  
Coulson sits in the empty seat on the other side of Tony as Rhodey, who only sits in silent support. “Tony is right, Thor,” he interjects before the blond could get another word in. “This happening is not your doing. We’d never blame you. You wouldn’t have asked us to come to war for you. We know that. Besides, it’s better that this happened out here, and not near earth.”  
  
Thor only nods once. Doesn’t say anything else. Nothing will come from arguing over blame.  
  
Rhodey’s head whips around when Sam swears sharply. “Sam?”  
  
“The damage is getting worse! We’re about to lose total power. Tony, Rhodes, we’re through the atmosphere. Can you help stabilize us as we land? Is the air really safe to open the doors, Thor?”  
  
“Aye it is. Much like earth.”  
  
The man who stands up isn’t Tony Stark. Tony Stark would have made a quip. Feigned insult at having been asked. Iron Man is who puts on the suit and goes over to stand silently by the door with Rhodey until Sam finally gets it open.  
  
Coulson straps in just before the blast of air that blows in, Thor swaying in place. Only Tony and Rhodey aren’t affected, moving forward and getting ready to fly out.  
  
Natasha’s hands are firmly on the controls, eyes focused on an open area of ground. “I’m heading towards the field straight ahead!” she calls back. “We just need you to keep us balanced. I’m losing control of our stabilization and navigation controls.” The ship starts sputtering. She sighs dryly. "And there goes our power."  
  
Without a word, Iron Man and War Machine are gone and the ship suddenly stops shuddering as much as it has been.  
  
Natasha lets out a relieved sigh and turns to Sam. “Let’s land this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, I'm not totally leaving Brucie bear out. He'll be in some background scenes but he just didn't fit into the story I'm trying to tell. I just adore him too much to leave him out completely.


	3. Chapter 3

The next time Steve opens his eyes, it’s dark. Lying still to get a feel for the situation, his ears pick up the sounds of a crackling fire and only one other breathing pattern next to him. As memories start to come back to him, that starts to come as a very bad sign.  
  
Surging upward as his eyes snap open, an uncontrollable cry jumps from his throat at the explosion of pain that shoots up his side just as his eyes land on Bucky sitting next to him in the dim light of the fire.  
  
“Son of a- Steve lay back down!” Bucky’s hands are on him in a second, forcing him back to lying flat on the ground.  
  
The pain lessens instantly, letting him breathe smoother though it takes longer for the panting and hurt sounds to stop. He’s sure Bucky won’t fault him for them. His arm feels like it’s on fire and he does his best to keep it flat on the ground as a dull throb keeps up in his side, making him groan. “Peter.”  
  
Bucky sighs. “He’s fine, you moron. You hugged him not a few hours ago or did you forget our Kodak moment? He’s out with Clint scavenging in the ship. The kid needed something else to focus on besides your sorry ass. Now lay still.”  
  
Steve lets out a small groan as he feels his friend’s hands start prodding along his sides. He’s half tempted to tease Bucky about the old commercial reference, old commercials being something they both watched to sum up much of the product changes and advances in the time they missed back when they were both new to this time. He’s too tired. “Broken rib?”  
  
“Two. One was already healing when you passed out and scared the living daylights out of your boy. The lower one,” he punctuates this with a sharp poke that makes Steve grunt and wince in response, “needed maneuvering before it could start healing back together. I’m glad you were out for that.”  
  
“Me too,” Steve sighs.  
  
“Your arm is even more of a mess, but it was easier to see if anything was out of place. We were able to get it wrapped pretty well.” He still prods gently along Steve’s bad arm, checking for any sign that Steve had messed up their work. It’s wrapped from shoulder to palm, looping around Steve’s thumb to keep every bone secure down to the wrist. There were a lot of breaks in there.  
  
“How are you guys?” Steve’s voice is tight from the pain of Bucky’s touch.  
  
Bucky tangles his fingers with Steve’s in apology after he’s moved all the way down his arm. “Clint has some spectacular bruising and scratches from the crash but is otherwise okay. Peter attached to the floor at first impact and I had a hold of one of the bolted chairs and sunk my fingers into the floor to hold me over him as a seatbelt so he’s pretty much unscathed.”  
  
Steve lets out a short laugh, wincing in pain. “I love how that’s normal for us. ‘Just sunk my fingers into the floor’.”  
  
Bucky chuckles, wiggling the fingers of his metal hand. “At least Hydra gave me one good thing. Though… I guess this one is Tony’s…”  
  
Steve gets serious. “Thank you. For keeping Peter safe.”  
  
Bucky waves it off. “Kid’s my nephew. And what good am I if I can’t keep my brother’s son safe?”  
  
Steve smiles softly at him. “You used to be everything. Now you’re part of my everything. Keeping Peter safe was good. But how are you?”  
  
Bucky shrugs. His hands sink into his hoodie’s pockets. He’s out of uniform and looks a little haggard.  
  
Steve suddenly remembers what Peter said as they were crashing. He lifts his head to look Bucky in the eye. “Peter said you were hurt. What happened?”  
  
Bucky sighs. “I’m fine, Steve. Healing already.”  
  
Steve lifts his head more. “Show me or I sit up.”  
  
Bucky knows he’ll do it. Doesn’t put up a fight. Unzipping his hoodie reveals the stark white of gauze. “I’m not unwrapping it. Clint cleaned it up and checked for more damage.”  
  
Steve’s eyes widen at the wide expanse of white that goes from Bucky’s chest to the bottom of his ribs. “What…?”  
  
Bucky grins wryly. “Tony showed me what to do if this ship were ever to get really damaged way back when he was building it. He had warned me it would be rough if it wasn’t him in the suit. There was just no other way to do it.”  
  
Steve frowns. “What did you do?”  
  
“There were some wires we needed to re-route in order to be able to activate the pressure lock on the back of the ship after they were fried farther back. We were rapidly losing pieces of the ship and I knew when it got too thin that we could say goodbye to cabin pressure and we would be thrown off axis.”  
  
Steve nods. “There’d be no hope of a controlled landing then. We would have been dead for sure.”  
  
“I had to keep Clint from offering to do it, climbing through things being his style. But I knew that the repairs would hurt him too much. Getting to the wires was the easy part compared to finding the right ones and attaching them without touching anything else through the bending and contorting I had to do to reach them.” He shrugs. “I couldn’t keep from touching anything else.”  
  
Steve’s eyes widen. “You were electrocuted?”  
  
Bucky nods with a wince. “My gear could only hold out for so long. Then it was like what I would imagine as being stung by a man-o-war. Clint said that the burns sure looked like that anyway.”  
  
Steve is at a loss. “And you did that within seconds of us getting hit?”  
  
Bucky shrugs. “I knew it had to be done. Wasn’t going to let you crash another ship without doing what I could to help this time.” He gives Steve a lopsided grin. “Let’s not make this a habit, okay?”  
  
Steve shakes his head, eyes falling closed. His whole body still hurts. He has a feeling that if he weren’t a super soldier he’d be dead right now. Something is definitely wrong with his head if the pounding inside and disorientation tells him anything. Severe trauma will take a few more hours to start to go away. But to think that Bucky did that as they were on their way to crashing… “I could kiss you right now.”  
  
“Go to sleep, Romeo. I’ll wake you when Peter gets back.”  
  
“Promise,” he mumbles, already letting himself fall back to sleep.  
  
“Promise.” Bucky sits vigil at the fire as Steve sleeps. Not unlike many of their other missions. When Steve’s snores start up seconds later, he smiles affectionately. Steve only snores when he’s comfortable enough to go into a deep sleep. It means Steve trusts him. Reaching over, he rests his hand on his lifelong friend’s chest. “I’ve got your back, Stevie. As always.”  
  
It isn’t long before the other two return, bags slung over their shoulders and pulling a makeshift pallet of what looks like food and other supplies. Clint grins a little. “Ship has been plundered and pillaged, Sergeant major.”  
  
Peter notices Bucky’s hand on Steve’s chest. “Did he wake up?”  
  
Bucky nods. “Threw a fit when he noticed you guys were gone. You wanna see if he’ll wake up again?”  
  
Peter shakes his head. “He should sleep more.” He bites his lip.  
  
Clint notices, chuckling. “Kid, you need to see your Dad. And besides, Steve probably wants to see you too. Let him breathe a little easier and get your own fill of reassurance.”  
  
Bucky stands, letting Peter have his spot close to the fire. “I’ll help Clint with sorting through this stuff.”  
  
Peter sits next to Steve’s shoulder, letting out a shuddering breath as he spreads his fingers over his chest. Watches it rise and fall. When Steve collapsed against him… he was sure that was it. That he was watching his father die. If it wasn’t for Clint… well he’s fine now. He’s fine. That’s all that matters.  
  
“I’m fine.” Steve’s eyes slowly open, a small smile curving his lips.  
  
Peter smiles shakily back. “I’m glad.”  
  
Steve’s larger hand moves up to cover Peter’s. There isn’t all that much of a difference anymore. “Bucky will kill me if I sit up, but I want to see that you’re okay.” He smiles bigger at Peter’s eye roll.  
  
“I’m better off than you. Just some minor bruising. Most of which you can blame your best bud for.”  
  
Steve’s smile disappears and he raises his head. “What?”  
  
Peter lays his free hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Don’t you dare get up. Sorry, bad joke. I just gave Bucky a hard time as he was dragging me away. The metal arm isn’t all that comfortable when it’s tight.”  
  
Steve lets out a hissed breath. “Still.”  
  
Peter looks him in the eye. “I didn’t want to leave you all alone.”  
  
Squeezing the hand still in his, Steve smiles softly. “I know. But I’m your father. I won’t ever want you in danger. Not to mention Tony would kill me if I didn’t do what I could to protect you.”  
  
Peter grins. “He’s going to kill you anyway. He doesn’t like you getting hurt either. You know that.”  
  
Steve huffs, eyes falling closed. “I know. And we were so close. I haven’t seen him in so long and we were so close.”  
  
Peter squeezes his hand.  
  
Steve opens his eyes. “I miss him, Pete.”  
  
Peter lets go of his father’s hand and lies down perpendicular to him, resting his head on his chest, high enough to avoid the bad ribs and facing him. His eyes follow a cut that runs up along Steve’s jaw. “I know.” He remembers the past months of craziness. How Steve and Tony barely had time to fall into bed to sleep at the same time, let alone talk to each other face to face. “Do you think they’re okay?” He runs his gaze over the rest of Steve’s bruised face. They’re already fading, but it still makes him wince in sympathy.  
  
“Yes,” is the immediate answer. The only answer he’ll let himself think. “You know Tony. Once they were through the atmosphere he’d get them safely down. And he’ll have everything fixed up by the time we find them. You’ll see.”  
  
Peter groans. “But how will we find them?”  
  
Steve pulls his arm out from under Peter, resting it over his son’s shoulders. He tightens it lightly in a reassuring hug. “I looked at our positioning as we were crashing. I know the vague direction. We’ll be fine.”  
  
Bucky comes to sit next to them then. “Steve seems to have a knack for finding lost people.”  
  
Steve looks to him with a grin. “Says the very first one.”  
  
Clint sits next to Bucky, adding another branch to the fire. “So when do you want us to be ready to head out, Cap?”  
  
Steve sighs. “We’ll see how things feel in the morning.”  
  
Clint frowns. “You think you should be moving that soon?”  
  
Steve shrugs his good shoulder just a bit. “I should be more stable in a few hours. Let my ribs heal a little. Wake me when the sun comes up. The more I sleep the faster I heal. I’ll make up my turn to watch sometime soon.”  
  
Clint waves him off. “No keeping track, Cap. You’re excused.” He turns to lean his back against Bucky’s, who lets his head fall back to rest on Clint’s shoulder.  
  
Getting comfortable against Clint’s back, Bucky closes his eyes to get a few hours of sleep before his next turn to watch. “Sleep tight.”  
  
Peter’s eyes fall closed where his head is still resting on Steve’s chest. “Is my head too heavy?”  
  
Steve smiles a little. Moves his hand from Peter's shoulders to gently cup the back of his head. His fingers play with the short strands of hair there. “No. I need you close anyway. I could have lost you today.”  
  
Peter chuckles tiredly, already hallway to falling asleep. “Nah. Captain America never fails.”  
  
Steve goes back to sleep with a smile on his face.

  
***  


_Bucky dreams of the explosion, waking up in the hospital in a panic and unable to calm himself until a sturdy hand smacks itself into his chest and forces him to lay flat on his back. Sharp eyes swim into focus, identifying Clint Barton as the person who is suddenly kneeling over his prone form._  
  
_With a hand up in a ‘calm down’ gesture and a tap to his collarbone with the hand already on his chest, Clint smiles a little and mouths the word ‘relax’._  
  
_Except… he can feel the vibrations of the word through the hand on his chest but he can’t hear them. In a second, he realizes he’s deaf. He should be hearing the beeping of monitors, the voices of nurses and doctors, the sound of the damn fly that flies right through his line of sight. But he doesn’t. He hears nothing._  
  
_Just as he’s starting to panic (again), another face joins Clint’s. Natasha’s eyes are more frightened than Bucky has ever seen them. A bit too wide. Bright with panic even though she still has her tight hold on her facial features. It gives him a second’s pause, not wanting to scare her more. Instead, he forces himself to breathe, reaching up to tap at his ear and aiming a questioning look at both of them._  
  
_Clint nods, finally trusting Bucky not to freak out enough to stop kneeling over him and stand by the bed like a normal person. And then he surprises him by signing as he speaks, slow enough for Bucky to read his lips and see the motions that accompany them. ‘It will be okay. With your healing, it’s not permanent.’_  
  
_He opens his mouth to reply, but not being able to hear his own voice shuts down his willingness to talk. A soft touch to his arm turns his attention to Natasha. To his shock, she signs too._  
  
_‘Clint is partially deaf,’ she signs and speaks. Once again, slow enough, and with sharp, over exaggerated, articulation for Bucky to read her lips. ‘You want to learn to sign?’ She smiles hesitantly, like she’s afraid she’s offending him._  
  
_Looking back to Clint, he finds peace in the smirk on Clint’s face. Normalcy is all he needs right now. If Clint has lived with this, then he can too. He nods._  
  
_Clint’s grin grows._  
  
_Bucky’s hearing returns days later, his envy for Steve’s faster healing abilities lessened by his learning of signing and knowing that unlike Clint, he’s lucky enough to get his hearing back._  
  
_The ASL lessons kept on for months and spread through the entire Avengers Tower until they all knew enough for full-length conversations. Sometimes they use it just to make Clint smile._

  
***  


Bucky takes up watch when Clint jostles him, returning the favor from earlier and letting Clint rest his head on his shoulder. He understands the need for something at your back, always willing to keep the archer feeling safe as he’s become accustomed to on missions with him.  
  
Missions with Clint seem to always include Natasha on the ground with them and Phil’s comfortingly capable voice over their coms, which is just fine with Bucky. It’s different than missions with Steve. With Steve it’s a go in, take a little recon (which may last longer like their last mission), then take care of the problem. With the Wonder Twins, it’s always something that requires more manipulation and coercion. All grifting before hitting. A more elegant approach.  
  
Bonding with Clint happened naturally. Soon after he was getting back to his normal self thanks to Steve, he and Clint were fellow pains in Steve’s ass when it came to mouthing off during fights with the villain of the month. Soon after that, Tony was joking that they may as well have given Clint a new brother.  
  
Natasha came a little later, but the attraction was evident. The Wonder Twins became the Terrible Triplets, and Tony cursed everything Natasha taught him while Steve smiled like his long lost friend fitting in was the best thing he could imagine. Bruce learned that turning around and walking out was better than asking, and Thor… he was mostly game for anything anyway.  
  
Bucky smiles to himself as he keeps watch, feeling Clint’s breathing deepen. It’s been roughly ten years since he got his mind back. Then he got a family and got to watch his best friend, who he thought would be forever hopeless, start a family and adopt a nine year old a couple years later.  
  
Add on his luck at having someone as closed off as Natasha open up and love him… when they get back home, he’s sucking it up and telling her they’re getting married. Forget asking. It’s been eight years. She’s obviously sticking around. Even if it’s just through documentation. No muss, no fuss. Call him an old fashioned romantic, but there’s something about that piece of paper that tells the world that she’s his. And he’s hers.  
  
“I can always tell when you’re thinking about Nat.”  
  
Bucky blinks, looking to Peter. “Oh?”  
  
Peter smiles from his place still laying on his dad. “You get all happy and shit. It’s cute.”  
  
He sighs and rolls his eyes.  
  
Peter’s eyes fall closed again. “James?”  
  
Bucky’s ears perk up at that. It’s rare that Peter ever uses his full name. “Yeah, Peter?”  
  
“I asked Dad already, but I know he likes to make me feel better. Do you really think they landed okay?”  
  
Bucky considers it for a while. “They weren’t hit as bad as we were,” he finally answers. “And Nat was flying, I’m sure. She’s one of our best. They had Tony to help them if anything went wrong and Sam to offer a pilot’s skillset. Phil is capable, in all situations it seems, and Thor will keep them safe.”  
  
“I think Rhodey is with them too,” Peter adds. “He was visiting Tony before we left so I think he would have come.”  
  
Bucky relaxes even more at that information. “And they had War Machine. Perfect. There’s no possible way they crashed with both Tony and Rhodes.”  
  
It’s quiet after that for a long while. As the sky starts to get lighter, Clint stirs against his back. “Ugh. I’m sore all over.”  
  
Bucky chuckles. “Yeah I’m sure we’re all a little worse for wear.”  
  
Peter groans as he sits up, but stretches before smiling. “I’m okay.”  
  
“Good,” is the unanimous reply.  
  
He rolls his eyes. “You guys worry too much.”  
  
“Better too much than not enough,” Steve murmurs behind him.  
  
Bucky and Clint move over, crouching next to him. It’s Clint who speaks first. “How’re you feeling, Cap?”  
  
“Like I crashed another plane.”  
  
Bucky glares. “That’s not funny.”  
  
Steve snorts. “You weren’t even there for the first one.”  
  
“Still not funny,” Peter mutters.  
  
Steve reaches out to take his hand. “Sorry.”  
  
“You think we’ll be able to move today?” Bucky asks.  
  
Steve moves to push himself up, grunting in pain. He breathes easier when he’s leaning on his good arm. “If we go slow.” He nods down towards his bad arm. “And we might want to secure this thing to me.”  
  
“It’ll take us a while to figure out exactly the best way to carry all of our supplies. How about you rest while Barnes and I figure that out? Then we’ll set you up for travel and head out.” Clint pats his shoulder, standing and turning towards their pile of supplies they scavenged from the ship.  
  
Peter smiles a little at Steve as he lies back down. “All of our bags with our extra clothes are fine. All of the survival packs are in tact. Half of the MREs were lost or burned in the explosion but we should have enough. Clint and I were able to get most of our things out.”  
  
Steve has a sudden thought. Eyes snapping wide, he looks pleadingly to his son for good news. “My shield?”  
  
Peter smiles. “We found it. It’s fine. Would you like me to get it?”  
  
Steve chuckles. “Later.” He lets his head fall back. “Like Tony and his armor, I just couldn’t bear to leave my best girl.”  
  
Peter, Clint, and Bucky pack things up as efficiently as possible, rigging up frames with metal scraps from the ship and loading their bags and food together in hauler packs. A little over what could be guessed as an hour later, Bucky and Clint help Steve stand. Peter steadies him when he goes pale and has to breathe through the pain.  
  
“We can wait another day,” Bucky soothes.  
  
Steve shakes his head. Thinks of Tony. How tore up he must be. Of Natasha waiting on Bucky and Phil waiting on Clint. Of the time it’s going to take to travel the distance he still hasn’t disclosed to any of them. “No. We’re going. We’ll just have to move really slow.” He leans heavily on Bucky, keeping his hand on his opposite side on Peter’s shoulder for stabilization.  
  
Clint gets his arm bent and secures it to his chest, apologizing to the pained grunts he gest for moving it and pressing it in order to secure it better. When Steve nods an affirmative to Clint’s ‘You good?’, they start off, leaving the remains of the crash even farther behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure, I was extremely torn between clint/bucky and clint/phil. But I reeeaaaally miss Phil and feel cheated out of Phil's potential after seeing how competent he is in 'agents of shield'. Let's face it. If Fury brought Phil back to keep the Avengers in line, Thanos never would have won.  
> Also, I've been reading comics with Bucky/Nat and have started becoming attached to that pairing as well.


	4. Chapter 4

_Tony and Steve have the weirdest relationship the rest of their team has ever seen. One minute they’re yelling at each other, the next everyone is vacating the premises because as attractive as they both are, they all respect them too much to wait for an eyeful. Besides, Tony and Steve don’t like to share each other._  
  
_Then there’s the fact that Steve can calm Tony with a touch or, if the situation calls for it, can follow him with the energy to match the genius when he’s on a caffeine high after a long night of working. Sometimes Steve stays up with him, thanking Bruce when he comes down to bring them both coffee in the morning and sometimes he throws Tony over his shoulder and physically forces him into bed._  
  
_They fight over what to order for dinner or where to go out to eat before making a calendar and marking days when it’s their turn to choose. But when Steve has a bad day, Tony offers to go anywhere he wants just to see him smile. Steve also orders Tony’s favorite Italian after a particularly bad week for Tony even though it was Steve’s turn to choose and Tony orders that Italian way too often for Steve’s liking._  
  
_Tony pushes Steve to his limit when it comes to patience and Steve annoys Tony to no end when he gripes about him being safe even though he “already ran the numbers and it was the only way to save everyone”. Steve teaches Tony to fight like a soldier without the suit and Tony teaches Steve enough about the way his suits and other projects work and gives him enough clearance that with anyone else it would probably be detrimental to his health. He knows Steve is safe and Steve knows Tony loves him even though he doesn’t say it until more than a year into their relationship. They’re total opposites, but they make it work._  
  
_Being a team of superheroes means that many of them have weird quirks and most of their dates get canceled or turned into fights for the city. They’ve accepted this. Tony and Steve’s first anniversary since they’ve started dating is spent keeping the world from being taken over. Again. They order food for the entire team when they get home and spend the night on the couch watching a movie with everyone in a group therapy/patch up session when they could have gone off on their own. It’s nice._  
  
_It’s not long after their second anniversary that Steve brings up the idea of forever. They’re laying in bed, he doesn’t even have a ring, but the light coming through the window as the sun comes up lights up Tony’s eyes when he opens them and Steve has a second to think, ‘Mine. He’s all mine’, and decides he wants this forever. Before he even decides to speak, the words are pouring out of his mouth._  
  
_“Marry me.”_  
  
_Tony’s tired smile that had just started spreading across his face vanishes quicker than it appeared, and… Steve kind of wants to shoot himself in the face. “What?”_  
  
_He knows it’s going to be hard. But he also knows that if he pushes, Tony will eventually give in. He just has to prove he really wants it. That he’s not going to change his mind. Steve steels himself. “Marry me. And no bullshit about being bad at commitment. It’s been two years-”_  
  
_“Exactly!” Tony sits up, suddenly wide awake. “What happens in another year when you decide I’m too much work?”_  
  
_Steve rolls his eyes, not moving from where he’s only propped up on his elbow on his side. Lets Tony have the high ground. “I’m not going to think that. You’re more than worth anything you can dish out. Even arguing about getting married.”_  
  
_Tony chokes at that word, eyes huge. “You can’t be serious. I mean… I was just able to tell you I love you a few months ago!”_  
  
_Steve smiles, but it’s one of both affection and resignation. His voice lowers to a mix of soothing and seductive. “You aren’t the only one who knows how to get what they want, Tony.” He finally pushes himself up, kissing Tony and smiling into it when the smaller man lets out a shuddering breath. “Tell you what. Think about it. I’ll ask you again someday.”_  
  
_A lot of fights start after that, Tony bringing it up in their arguments and using it as ammunition against Steve like bullets when he’s feeling particularly vicious. He apologizes after every time, Steve whispering ‘it’s okay, it’s okay’ into his skin as he kisses his way across his stomach when they’re making up. Yes, it hurts. But he knows Tony’s tells for when he’s scared. He’s more than happy to reassure him that he’s not going to leave over a few little tantrums._  
  
_Two months after the question, Tony watches Steve fall from a building. The desperate cry of ‘Tony!’ echoed inside his helmet as a mockery as he raced to catch him. The horror he felt as he wasn’t able to get there in time is something he’ll never be able to put into words._  
  
_Sitting silently next to the bed in medical for two days leaves him a long time to think._  
  
_When Steve finally opens his eyes, Tony’s heart breaks at the smile that spreads across his face. “’-re ‘kay.”_  
  
_The pieces of his heart break down to dust as he realizes that Steve, selfless Steve, is just glad that Tony was okay without Steve there to have his back. “Marry me.” The words are choked out like they’re escaping from the mantra that had been running through his head since he sat in this chair: Wake up and marry me. I’ve made up my mind. Wake up and marry me._  
  
_Steve smiles wider, though it must hurt. “I asked first.”_  
  
_“Then yes,” Tony hisses. “Yes, okay? I’m selfish. You have to stay with me and you won’t have a choice if you marry me.”_  
  
_Steve weakly reaches his hand out, taking Tony’s and tangling their fingers together. His smile lights up the room. “Sounds perfect.”_  


  
  


The landing was less than spectacular, but considering the damage to their ship it could have been worse. Tony stands before the ship and looks over the mess of wires, parts, and destroyed paneling, absentmindedly twirling the ring on his left hand. He looks down when he realizes what he’s doing, reading the binary code that’s carved into the metal as he spins it. Three rows of tiny zeros and ones. _Iloveyou_  
  
He had taught Steve the basics of binary code. Taught him what it does and how it works. Steve’s learning curve is phenomenal. Even so, it takes a strong interest to learn everything about computer language. The fact that Steve paid enough attention to add that tiny little detail to his ring… It’s never failed to make him smile. Except for today.  
  
“How’s it look?”  
  
Tony turns to Rhodey, shaking his head as he drops his hands and tucks them in his pockets. “It’s a piece of work alright. I’ll have to make a lot of my own tools because I don’t pack my whole workshop with me. The wires are going to be the hardest part.” He sighs internally when he realizes where a lot of those wires are going to come from.  
  
Rhodey nods. “Let me know what I can do to help. I know the basics.”  
  
Tony tries to smile. “I know. I’ll need you and Nat to give me some details from inside when I start getting deeper into the repairs but for now… I just have to plan.”  
  
Rhodey reaches out, running a hand up and down his arm. Tony’s sad attempt at a smile didn’t fool him. “They’re okay. You know that, right?”  
  
He sighs, looking down. “I never did optimism well.”  
  
“Lucky for you, you have us. And we know that Steve could land that plane. It’s not like back when he crashed into the ice. He didn’t have to crash it. He had to save it. And this time, he had too many reasons to live. He’ll get here, along with Peter, Clint, and Bucky. You’ll see.”  
  
Tony nods, giving him a rueful smile and attempts for his own optimism. “Barnes also knew what to do if things went wrong in certain areas of the ship. Maybe he helped.”  
  
Rhodey smiles. “See. They’re fine.”  
  
Tony looks back to the mess in front of him. He hopes he’s right.

***

After the ship came to a jarring landing, Natasha went quiet. For most, that’s almost normal. Natasha is always watching more than she’s talking. It makes her perfectly placed quips and one liners even funnier. But to Phil, the silence is a red flag. His agent is hurting. Though she’s not his agent anymore, hasn’t been in a long time, Natasha will always be a part of his original family. He won’t leave her to work through this alone.  
  
He finds her digging through the back and sorting supplies, a notebook in her hand and a pencil in her teeth. He smiles a little. “How are we on supplies so far?”  
  
She removes the pencil from her mouth, sliding it behind her ear as she sits and turns to him. “Tony was prepared. We’ll have enough food for quite a while. He had us each pack bags of extra equipment when he built this thing so they’re all back here in one piece. We’ll have clothes for a while if we wash them every few days.”  
  
Coulson nods, listening and calculating. “The other ship had all of this too?”  
  
Natasha nods once. “Tony always keeps the MRE’s stocked and had Clint take extra clothes for Steve and James when they went to retrieve them. He and Peter each took their own bag as well. Tony is always paranoid about planes and ships crashing. He always makes sure everyone is prepared. I think it’s to make Steve feel better.”  
  
Coulson lets out a breath. He watches as she starts separating the MREs into piles. “Need any help?”  
  
She pauses. “I’ve got it.”  
  
He shrugs. “It’s not like I have anything else to do.”  
  
Natasha blinks. He feels helpless, she realizes. There’s nothing else for him to do right now and thoughts of the other ship must be plaguing him like they are her. She scoots over. “In that case, have a seat.”  
  
They both take their time, using the work as a way to quiet their minds and keep busy as Tony checks the ship over and Thor takes a perimeter fly around the ship to add to what he already knows of this planet. When they’re done, they join the rest in the front of the ship to wait and record diagnostics on the damage when Tony comes inside.  
  
When Thor returns that night, everyone quiets over their MRE meals.  
  
Thor leans against the wall, letting out a sigh. “They’re far away,” he finally starts. “There’s no sign of any disturbance within the immediate area other than pieces of our own ship.” He looks to Tony. “Would you like me to collect any pieces for you that I find?”  
  
Tony nods. “That’d be a great help, buddy.”  
  
“How far did you go?” Coulson asks curiously.  
  
“As far as I could while still circling the ship before nightfall. I will try again tomorrow and do a larger sweep, but I believe they are much farther than we would like. This is a large planet, a bit bigger than Earth though it has much more land and less water, which will not hinder their journey.”  
  
Natasha nods. “That’s good.”  
  
Thor nods. “Aye. It is also lacking intelligent inhabitants. No one lives here only because they use this planet as a support. If something were to happen to their own, they would relocate here. For now, they want it to remain uninhabited in order to keep resources from being used.”  
  
Coulson thinks this over. “No natives to bother them. This is all good news.”  
  
Thor shrugs. “I have not yet found any creatures. It’s hard to say what could be in the trees. We must be careful for now. I don’t know of all the creatures that may live on lands different than the ones I have visited. ”  
  
Rhodey snorts. “The suit stays in reaching distance then.”  
  
Sam raises a hand. “And there’s no way for you to contact anyone out here?”  
  
Thor nods. He sighs. “We had not established a connection with the two clans at war out there. It… “ he huffs, “We were supposed to be gaining allies. For now, my people are too far to establish any kind of reliable contact and those currently within our reach I fear we can’t trust. The risk to contact them while we are here without adequate weaponry would be foolish. We would be outnumbered. I would rather take our chances.” He looks around to the rest of the team. “I am sorry.”  
  
Natasha shakes her head. “We agree. Besides, we’ll be able to get off of this planet on our own. The real issue is waiting for the rest of us to get here.”  
  
“Which is also of my own doing,” Thor murmurs.  
  
She gives him a sharp look. “No one blames you, Thor. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”  
  
Tony nods. “But it did. So let’s stop wallowing in it and get to work people.” He heads towards the back of the ship. “Looks like I need to pull out the generator.”  
  
Sam looks to Natasha. “He has a generator on here?”  
  
Natasha shrugs.  
  
Rhodey smiles a little. “Of course he does.”  
  
Thor shakes off the guilt for now. Helping is the only way he’ll make up for it. “I’ll go see if he needs help getting it outside.”  
  
It’s a big generator, a backup jump in case something happened to the ship’s own power source. It’s not much different from his power solution for the tower, though it is bigger. He’s been meaning to update this one to a newer, smaller version. As such, it takes Tony a half hour to disconnect it and grins at Thor when he calls him in to get it out. “It’s a little big.”  
  
Thor chuckles. “You doubt me even after all these years? That’s cute.”  
  
Tony rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a showoff.”  
  
It’s stupidly easy for Thor to get the generator outside with the help of Tony in his armor and Tony gets to work hooking up lights and mounting them around where he’ll need to work. After grabbing his tool bag, he starts pulling off more plating from the ship with a crow bar from up on Thor’s shoulders to get to clean wires while Rhodey gets the lower ones. He sighs when Natasha materializes out of the shadows up on the wing and grins at them. “What?”  
  
“Steve’s going to be jealous. He’s usually your designated ladder.”  
  
Tony sighs again, grinning a little at the many memories that conjures up. He appreciates her future tense. Rhodey is right. He needs to keep positive.  
  
Thor pats his leg from under him. “I’m sure Steve will understand. After all, I’m not going to-”  
  
“Okay! Let’s not even put those thoughts into words, huh? As pretty as you are, I’ll keep my own mental images without switching Steve out for you.” He taps him on the head with his crowbar. “Thanks.”  
  
Thor chuckles and Natasha smiles when he winks at her. They’re all doing their best to keep Tony from thinking about their circumstances.  
  
Sam climbs up the tree next to the wing, letting out a strange sound as he almost falls backwards from his swing over. He walks up to sit next to Natasha. “I was going to ask if you guys could straighten up the floor in there, but it seems that you guys might like things lopsided.”  
  
Tony snorts, looking at the way the ship is rested a little crooked. It’s letting him reach where he needs to from Thor’s shoulders. “Yeah, sorry bud. Get used to crooked hips.”  
  
“Sounds great. You’ll pay for my physical therapy when we get home, right boss man?”  
  
“Sure thing.” He yanks off another panel, throwing it to the ground. “Though in true Worker’s Comp fashion, I’ll make you fight for it every step of the way.”  
  
“Figures.” Sam turns to Natasha. “You’ll be my lawyer, right?”  
  
Tony points the bar at them. “No.”  
  
Natasha tilts her head. “You have no say in the matter when it comes to whom my client may choose to represent them.”  
  
“Oh God.”  
  
Thor chuckles underneath him.  
  
Tony taps his head lightly with the bar again. “Stay still.” He goes back to work. “Rhodey bear. How’s it looking?”  
  
“I don’t know that much about the mechanics of these things, but a lot of it down here is looking pretty clean. Just a few pulled or severed wires. I think I’m to the edge of the damage. Do you want me to start assessing?”  
  
Tony nods, looking around up top to see if he’s made it to the edge of the damage in his area. He sees bad wires coming out from under one more panel. “That’d be great. Yank out anything that looks dead. Pry out any destroyed parts. I’ll deal with the aftermath.” He gets that last panel off and looks everything over. Yeah. This area is worse. And it’s going to need new parts. He drops the crowbar to the ground. “Alright. I’m getting down, Mr. Mountain.”  
  
Thor steadies himself, Tony moving his legs enough to press his hands to Thor’s shoulders and push up as he lifts his legs and swings them back before dropping to the ground.  
  
Natasha raises her eyebrows. “You’ve been holding out on me.”  
  
Tony chuckles. “Not all of my balance is that good, believe me. That’s just a practiced move with Steve. Why get a ladder when you have a Super Sexy Super Soldier to climb?”  
  
She rolls her eyes. She doesn't even know why she questions his priorities anymore.  
  
Standing back, Tony finally looks over the entire extent of the damage on this side of the ship. “One side down, one to go.”  
  
Rhodey groans. “Ah, shit. Forgot about the other side.” He huffs, throwing down his own crow bar. “I’m putting on the armor.”  
  
Tony finds it in himself to smile.


	5. Chapter 5

_Calling themselves the Avengers and becoming the Avengers were two totally different things. They were called the Avengers immediately. The media caught on and ran with it, plastering the name across every newspaper and magazine. That was the easy part. Saying ‘I’m an Avenger’ is much easier than… well… being one. Being what it meant. Being a team._  
  
_It took weeks for the lot of them to move in. Bruce was first. Tony’s tower was the best place for him to keep out of the media storm that was bombarding them all. Tony may have bribed him with a lab, but it was easy to see Bruce’s shoulders relax as soon as he realized how much freedom he would have in the tower._  
  
_Fury swept in one day (the only way he could come into a room) and eyed Bruce’s comfortable lean in the couch Tony was sitting on the opposite end of and tilted his head with a quiet, “Hmmm.” The next morning, Tony had two traitors standing at his door with bags over their shoulders. One, a red headed, lying, CEO stealing traitor who Tony still held a grudge against. The other, a traitor against his will who… actually looked worse than he did after being freed from Loki’s control. Tony narrowed his eyes at them, but stepped aside to let them in. He had enough room after all. If he went in and made a few person-specific changes to the floors still being repaired, well, no one was around to see it._  
  
_Steve apparently wasn't convinced he would be all that welcome, but finally came a couple of weeks later after Natasha practically dragged him in by the ear._  
  
_“If we’re going to do this, we’re going to need our team leader, Steve.”_  
  
_With a sheepish shrug at Tony, and a soft, “I didn’t want to impose. After the things I said to you,” Steve held out a hand. “Starting over?”_  
  
_Narrowing his eyes again, Tony took it. He let a slow grin spread across his face as Steve’s shoulders started to fall away from his ears. When Steve returned it, Tony started believing that maybe this could work._  
  
_Thor was last, a few weeks later. He was unsure of his welcome as well, having felt responsible for his brother’s actions. It was astounding how such a large man could look like a golden retriever puppy as he was reassured that none of them could blame him for someone he couldn't control and was given his own floor in the tower._  
  
_Suddenly the Avengers were living together in Avengers tower. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded, but as Steve looked over the group in the kitchen the first morning they were all together, he had tilted his head and thought… Huh. This could be something._  
  
_When Tony had given him a soft smile over the top of his coffee mug, he had thought… Huh. Maybe that could be something too._

__  


They have to take frequent stops for Steve throughout the day, their leader doing his best but losing his fight against the pain in his body.  
  
Peter looks at him worriedly as they stop again, setting his pack down before reaching out to help Clint and Bucky lower him to the ground. “Maybe we should take it slow for today. We’ve been going for a few hours now. We should let you rest up and try again tomorrow.”  
  
Steve, still breathing heavily as he tries to get comfortable against a tree, shakes his head. “We should… keep moving. They’re waiting for us.”  
  
Bucky’s worried eyes are on him too as he and Clint lower their own packs to the ground. He sets the one he’s carrying for Steve next to him so he can lean against it. He lets out his own breath of relief when Steve seems to start breathing easier. “Steve, you can barely breathe. You just crashed a plane. You should be dead. I don’t know how you didn’t get crushed in the landing.”  
  
Clint crouches on the other side of Steve, hand reaching out to prod at his rib cage. He frowns deeply when Steve flinches with a hiss. “You’re healing slower because you’re dehydrated. I’m going to see if I can find some sort of water source.” He turns and disappears into the trees.  
  
Bucky stares at Steve a minute before nodding once. “We’re done for the day. I’m going to get wood for tonight.”  
  
Peter unzips Steve’s pack. “You should eat something.’  
  
Steve sighs, head falling back against the tree. “Yeah. Probably.”  
  
They’re quiet while they let their food heat itself, Peter having pulled out one for Bucky and Clint to have ready for when they get back. It’s a while before Peter speaks again. “Dad and the rest of the team are in a ship,” he murmurs. He meets Steve’s eyes. “They’re safe. We aren’t. You need to heal before we can keep traveling. What if something happens while you’re hurt?”  
  
Steve nods, sighing in frustration, grimacing on the exhale. “I know.”  
  
Peter stares at him. Finally, he murmurs, “I need you safe.”  
  
Steve looks up to him.  
  
Peter’s eyes shine. “I need you safe. Okay? I… People I can take. Taking down bad guys is what we do. Creatures rampaging New York, I can take. I know people there. So many people who can help when we need it. But we’re alone out here. And I need you because… I’m scared, Dad.”  
  
Steve’s jaw clenches. He reaches out, unable to keep from touching him anymore. “C’mere.”  
  
Peter allows himself to be pulled into Steve’s side, carefully leaning in as Steve wraps his arm around his shoulders. “I don’t know what’s out there, I don’t know if Tony is okay or if you’ll be okay. I… everything is just so uncertain.”  
  
Steve shushes him as he feels his breathing pick up. “Easy buddy. Easy.” It’s been a while since Peter has had an anxiety attack. The social worker that had helped them adopt Peter had said they were caused by stress. His uncertainty of where he belonged and who was safe to trust. They had gotten drastically less frequent after living with them and almost nonexistent after he became Spiderman. He didn’t feel so helpless anymore. But when things get really bad, it’s easy for him to fall back into one. “We’ll all be okay. You hear me? I’m here, and I won’t let anything happen. Okay?”  
  
Peter nods.  
  
Steve turns to kiss Peter’s temple. “We’ll get back to them. I promise.”  
  
Another nod.  
  
Bucky walks back into sight with a load of wood in one arm, and a load of wispy, dry plants for starting the fire in the other. He looks over to them and sighs. “Chins up, boys. We’ll be there in no time.”  
  
Steve looks down at Peter with a small smile. “What he said.”  
  
Bucky goes about starting a fire a few feet away from where they’re sitting. “Food’s staring to smell good.”  
  
Peter smiles a little. “It’s probably done.”  
  
“Good, I’m starving.” Clint appears from behind them, setting their canteens down before handing Steve his. “Drink up. I want it gone before we head to bed. The stream isn’t too far from here so I’ll have no problem getting out there to refill it. Things here seem to work much like earth.”  
  
Steve gets a drink, nodding as he caps it. “It does. Though I wish we had Thor to tell us what’s safe to eat. Then we’d have no problem getting back to the ship without starving first.”  
  
Clint chuckles. “Mister super healer over there is healthy enough to try anything and see if it’s poisonous.”  
  
Bucky flips him the bird without looking over, stoking the now flickering fire.  
  
Peter smiles. “Unless it’s bad enough to kill something larger than humans. Let’s not take that chance, huh?”  
  
Clint winks at him, settling next to the heating food. He looks to the sky, the sun just at the top of the trees. “A little early for a fire, don’t you think? You’ll need to get a lot of wood to keep it through the night.”  
  
Bucky shrugs, turning to sit with his back towards it. “I’m hoping it’ll repel any wildlife that might cause us trouble.”  
  
Steve hums, finally getting comfortable enough to let his eyes fall closed. “That’s reasonable. It seems like there aren’t any other human-like forms here. I wonder what type of animals are out there.”  
  
“I’ve been hearing small noises out there as we walk,” Clint chimes in. “Little animals. Equivalent to earth’s squirrels maybe. And possible bugs.”  
  
Steve hums in acknowledgement but doesn’t open his eyes.  
  
Peter reaches forward to grab one of the meals, opening it and making sure it’s done before nudging Steve. “Here. Eat this. Then you can sleep.”  
  
Steve smirks as he opens his eyes and takes the food. “Yes, sir.”  
  
They’re all quiet as they eat, a few strategic plans made by Bucky and Clint as they talk about the journey ahead. Steve is worryingly silent. Peter watches him, eyes critically assessing over his food. When Steve is almost done eating, box resting on his lap, his eyes keep falling closed more and more between bites.  
  
Steve doesn’t mind not being included in the travel plans, even as the other two start making calculations on the data they gathered from the remains of their ship computer. The topographical scanner that Tony had worked so hard on has given them some valuable information. Their guesses on distance are quite a bit off, but he guesses they’d rather not know that. It’s nothing that can really mess up any plans they make. Except for time allowance. In which case he can monitor it himself.  
  
Peter finally speaks up when Steve seems to have even more trouble keeping his eyes open. “You aren’t offering any commentary,” he murmurs.  
  
Steve looks to him, smiling softly. “I trust them. I might be the leader of our crazy family, but that doesn’t mean I always have to lead. I have no doubt that they will do anything that needs doing. I may have memorized where the other ship is, but I don’t know the exact data about the land they seem to have been able to collect from our own ship. I didn’t think that much of it would have survived.”  
  
“Bucky was able to hook up his phone to get a read and a partial map. Pieces of land features. It only helps with direction. It doesn’t help with distance at all. Too many blanks. It didn’t have much time to scan the planet in detail before we crashed. Did you see how far they were?” His stomach sinks when Steve looks away.  
  
“Far. But we’ll get there in due time.”  
  
Peter doesn’t press it. Doesn’t think he wants to know. The pieces of map Bucky was able to download will get them going the right direction. That’s all they need. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to get there, as long as the do actually get there.  
  
Noticing Steve isn’t totally paying attention to their planning, Clint and Bucky share a look before deciding to get more serious about traveling when Steve isn’t so out of it. Clint takes all of the garbage and stands. “I’m going to send this down river in case it can attract unwanted company. I hate littering, but I don’t think we have many other options here.”  
  
Bucky chuckles. “I’m sure our extenuating circumstances can speak for us. And it’s not like we’ll be killing this planet. We won’t be here long enough to do any lasting damage.” He turns to the fire, giving it a little boost in preparation for the night that’s slowly getting darker.  
  
When Clint returns, he takes a seat next to Steve. He smiles when Steve opens his eyes without prompt, having heard the stealthy archer easily with his enhanced hearing. “I scouted the area. There’s not much distance between here and the stream that’s a bit back behind you and your tree buddy there. I can monitor that area easily. I think, though, I’ll monitor in the trees during my shift. I like that vantage point better. But I won’t ever be far. And I’ll be watching. Feel free to get my attention if you need anything. Okay?”  
  
Steve nods. “You do what you need to.”  
  
Clint nods once. Then turns to Bucky and Peter. “I’ll be nearby.” He disappears into the trees.  
  
Peter lays out a bedroll before turning to Steve. “Do you think you’ll be able to lie down?”  
  
Steve sighs, shifting. When he finds it’s harder to breathe when he moves away from the tree, he freezes. “Maybe later. I’m actually pretty good here.”  
  
Peter frowns. “You sure?”  
  
Steve grins. “I’ve ended up sleeping sitting up so many times on the couch in Tony’s lab. It’s a little comforting.”  
  
Peter rolls his eyes, laying down and closing his eyes. He might as well keep up on sleep while everything is going smoothly. “Whatever you say.” From his position between Steve and the fire with Bucky keeping watch towards his feet and Clint somewhere in the trees, he feels secure enough to fall asleep quickly.  
  
Steve lets his eyes fall closed again, gritting his teeth against the pain as he moves to be more supported by the tree. He does his best. Really, he does. But as the minutes go by, it seems to be getting worse. After an hour, he can’t put off the feeling that it’s not going to go away without some help. And if he wants help, he should do it with the last bit of light in the sky.  
  
“Bucky.”  
  
Bucky hadn’t been able to sleep, still uneasy in their strange habitat without the security he felt at Clint’s back the night before. He turns to Steve, eyes worried at how breathless he sounds. “What’s up, punk?”  
  
Steve’s eyes are trying to convey something Bucky can’t quite read. They’re soft. Imploring. “Something’s wrong.”  
  
Bucky frowns. “What do you mean?”  
  
Steve tries to smile but it falls flat. “I’m not… breathing any easier.”  
  
Bucky eyes Peter where he’s sleeping a few feet away, making a hand motion to get Clint’s attention instead of calling out. He knows the archer is always watching. He moves over next to Steve, eyes scanning him over. “What’s wrong?”  
  
Steve waits until Clint crouches next to him and meets his eyes. “Something moved before it could heal right.” He scoots down to lean farther back against the tree behind him. It pushes his rib cage up and allows him to get a better breath in.  
  
Clint frowns, reaching out to prod at Steve’s ribs, more extensively than earlier. His fingers sink in where they shouldn’t, a surprised, “Shit!” hissing out. He looks up to Steve. “Damnit. Damnit, Steve I’m sorry. I thought I had them all set.”  
  
Steve shakes his head, gritting his teeth from the sharp spark of pain that had spiked when Clint touched him. “I probably moved it when I woke up…” he takes another sharp breath, “while you and Peter were scavenging up our supplies. It’s probably my fault.”  
  
“I should have wrapped it tighter. Shit, I’m sorry.”  
  
Bucky looks between the two as Steve shakes his head to dismiss the apology. “How bad?”  
  
Clint sighs, trying to feel around better. “A rib is healing wrong. It’s curving up from what I can feel. That explains his breathing problem. It’s probably pressing into his lung and restricting expansion. His fast healing is working against him. If he isn’t careful about his breaths…” He takes a steadying breath. “Worst case scenario? Pierced lung. Best case?” He shrugs in frustration. “He slowly suffocates himself into unconsciousness over and over again by not getting enough oxygen into his body for the movement he does to travel.”  
  
Bucky curses lowly, hand coming up to run through his hair. “What do we do? We can’t-”  
  
“You re-set it,” Steve grits out. He makes eye contact with Bucky. “You re-break it and he… re-sets it.”  
  
Clint looks to Bucky. “How accurate can you throw a punch?”  
  
Bucky looks back and forth between the two. “What? No! Fuck! No, I can’t-”  
  
“I can’t travel like… this,” Steve gets out between breaths. He cranks the puppy eyes full blast. He knows they work on Bucky just like they do on Tony. “I can’t protect Peter like this. I need… your help, Buck.”  
  
Peter approaches the group, awake from Bucky’s outburst. He crouches with the rest of them between Bucky and Clint. “Help with what? What’s wrong?”  
  
Steve sighs, head falling back against the tree. “Damn it.”  
  
Peter looks to Clint, eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“We wouldn’t be able to keep it from him anyway,” Clint mutters, hands prodding again. He winces when Steve grunts in pain. “It’s bad. It’s set itself enough that if you move wrong, it'll definitely cause damage. There’s no question about it anymore. I need to cut you open.”  
  
“Shit,” Bucky hisses. “We can’t-”  
  
“You can,” Steve grunts out, leaning to lie on his back with Clint’s help. It’s getting harder to breathe the longer they wait, his oxygen levels slowly getting harder to keep up. Having a stronger body than most humans is probably what had him going so strong up until now.  
  
Peter stares at them all, feeling more than a little sick. “You need to what?”  
  
Steve reaches out and snags his hand. “Rib moved. They’re… going to have to fix it.”  
  
Clint gets out their med kit, sifting through it for everything he needs. He threads a needle, lays out some gauze, and moves to hold a knife over the fire. He meets Bucky’s eyes. “I need your help, Barnes. We don’t have any way to give blood back and Steve can not wake up during this so this will have to be record-setting quick. You with me?”  
  
Bucky has gone slightly pale. Patching Steve up is one thing. But hurting him like this…  
  
Steve nudges his knee with his elbow. “Hey. Buck. It’s okay. I need this.” The shortening of his sentences to match his breathing doesn’t escape anyone’s notice.  
  
Bucky clenches his jaw, nods, and looks back to Clint. “You can do this?”  
  
Clint meets his eyes and gives him a single nod in return. “Broken ribs is a usual occurrence in our line of work, as I’m sure you know. I’m not a doctor, but I had to attempt something like this once before. Rib pressing into lung just like this. We had gone on too long and had no extraction. I lost him, but only because he was normal. He couldn’t withstand the blood loss. Not like Steve. It’ll work with him. I promise.”  
  
Bucky stares into his eyes. Clint has bright, expressive eyes when he’s not busy being Hawkeye. They drew Bucky out of his self-imposed silence a lot as he was recovering from what Hydra made him. Clint would provoke him into asking questions a lot. Responding during conversations just to see what would come out of the archer’s mouth next. He was a puzzle. Someone Bucky couldn’t get a read on for weeks until he learned that Barton, who soon became Clint, liked to feign idiocy.  
  
It was an art form. Like a killdeer feigning a broken wing. Clint was smart. Deceptively so. But he kept trotting around with his ‘broken’ wing (i.e. his stupid jokes, dumb answers, confused head tilts) leading conversations away from the nest of eggs (i.e. the important things like information or, god forbid, true feelings). He didn’t do it as often with the team as he did with the rest of the world, though he was still working towards that when Bucky was added to the mix. It was quite a show. It had lead many a villain astray, thinking that they were targeting the least impressive member of the team while Clint called back plays over the coms that aimed for weaknesses he’d spotted and ultimately lead to weakening, if not defeating, their opponent.  
  
The hilarious thing is, that it’s the same exact Clint that stumbles through the kitchen in the mornings and almost cries if the coffee pot is empty, almost falls on his face because Phil was walking by and he forgot that he was heading towards the stairs, and likes to ‘keep his skills sharp’ by shooting the team with nerf guns at any and all opportunities. According to Phil, that has never been something he’d been able to train out of him. If they’re all honest? He wouldn’t be Clint if he didn’t do those things. And though Clint can be a disaster at times, he buckles down to a fault when he needs to. They all know it.  
  
Clint has never lied to Bucky. Not even to soften a blow of the truth. Bucky also knows without a doubt that Clint cares for Steve as much as he can care for anyone other than Natasha and Phil. Clint doesn’t accept just anyone into the true vastness of his mind, and he’s given Steve more insight to his secret knowledge than anyone other than Phil. Natasha has always clawed out his truths whether he likes it or not. Steve has his respect and loyalty. He’s the only person to give him commands that he’s never questioned other than, of course, Natasha and Phil.  
  
Bucky sighs. If Clint says this is the only way? It’s probably the only way. “Run me through it.”  
  
Clint does, moving back over when he’s satisfied with disinfecting the knife. “I was kidding about punching it. I’ll just need your strong metal fingers to break it once we have him opened up. It’ll be safer that way. It shouldn’t take more than a well-placed flick since it hasn’t had time to fully set yet.”  
  
Steve looks to Peter as they talk, distracting him from their conversation when he sees him start to go pale. “You can walk away if you want.”  
  
Peter shakes his head. Grips Steve’s hand tighter. He blinks away the wetness in his eyes. “I’ll keep up with your pulse for Clint.” He doesn’t have a watch to match his pulse to, having broken it during the crash, but he’ll be able to tell if something changes. He presses his fingers to the flutter in Steve’s wrist. Starts counting.  
  
Clint finishes setting up as Steve turns back to him. “Alright. Ready?” He unwraps Steve’s arm before carefully getting his shirts folded up to above his ribs. He takes a pen and marks a dotted line for where he plans to cut. Then he looks up to meet Steve’s eyes. He grins a little. “Time for your anesthesia.”  
  
Steve huffs a single laugh. He tilts his head up. “Make it good, Buck.”  
  
The Winter Soldier knows how to throw a crippling punch.


	6. Chapter 6

_Living together didn’t make them a team. It made them easier to manage by Fury. It made it easier to assemble when things went wrong. It even made it easier to fight off enemies when they knew exactly where to find the Avengers. None of the attackers ever expected the level of security and prowess that was Tony and Jarvis as a team. No, what made them a team were those first few quiet months in the tower as they learned how to move about each other._  
  
_Each had their own landmines, soft spots that raised hackles and flared tempers. It was a learning curve, figuring out what they could talk to each other about. They managed. The one person who never seemed to be settling in was Clint. He kept odd hours, avoided most of them when at all possible, and generally didn't seem like he wanted to be there._  
  
_Tony was convinced he was forced there by Natasha and Fury. When she denies it, he frowns. “He knows he can leave, right?”_  
  
_Natasha shakes her head, eyes on the screen Tony had pulled up in front of him to view the security feed from the range. Clint was on his second set of arrows, the rhythmic motions he could do in his sleep jerky and sharp to her accustomed eyes. “He wouldn't want to go back. Though they may say they know it’s not his fault, no one trusts him like they used to. And…” she shrugs at Tony, “The one person who could fix that is dead.”_  
  
_Tony frowns with the reminder of Coulson. He respected Coulson. He never once saw him lose his cool or show any amount of weakness. He was convinced the man was a robot Fury personally built to take care of things he didn’t want to. Like Tony. He could tell that there was something Natasha wasn’t saying. “You worked with him.”_  
  
_A small nod. Tony was a part of her new team now. There were some things he was allowed to know. “Strike team Delta. Clint, Coulson, and I. We were the best. Clint was our eyes. I was the infiltrator. Together, we could get into any mess they needed us to. Coulson was the one who made sure to pull us out. He was our only exit strategy. Fury gave us the suicide runs and trusted Coulson to pull us out or have a plan. Most of those plans were safe houses he would meet us at, trusting us to get there just as we trusted him to get us home afterwards.”_  
  
_Tony nods, for once without words. He suddenly felt as if his own grief was insignificant compared to that of the two SHIELD agents._  
  
_“Clint made a different call on the op where he was supposed to kill me, but it was Coulson who trusted him with it.” She smiles now. A small quirk of her lips. “He didn’t even yell at Clint when he walked into the safe house and saw me there. Just sighed, took off his jacket, and sat down on the other side of the table to talk.”_  
  
_Tony chuckles. “That sounds like him.”_  
  
_“I owe him my life just as much as I owe Clint. But Clint…” She looks back to the feed, eyes softening again when she sees Clint finally lower his arms, standing still and silent in the middle of the large room. She thinks she sees tiny drops of red dripping from his drawing fingers. He hadn’t put on any of his equipment. “How would you feel if the only person who ever showed you that you were worth something was killed by the hands of the man you were helping attack?”_  
  
_Tony meets her eyes. “He couldn’t have fought it.”_  
  
_She shrugs. “Maybe. But would that one excuse help you sleep at night?”_  
  
_Tony notices things after that. Notices Clint’s decline. He doesn’t lose an ounce of muscle at first, the hard workouts he does almost nightly keeping that up. But the muscles themselves become clearer. His cheek bones a bit more pronounced. He sees Clint eat, but it’s never more than what could be used to stop the ache of hunger and eventually that does take a toll on the man’s muscle mass. Though he’s rarely talked to the Clint, something draws Tony to him. He sees something in him that could be familiar. He knows what it’s like to be the reason another man dies._  
  
_The roof of the tower is where it happens. He’s waiting for Jarvis to run some stats and for multiple projects to run through simulations when he feels the need for fresh air. It’s been a few days. The roof is open with only a slight ledge, above the city lights enough to almost see the stars on clear nights. He’s sitting smack in the center of it when the door opens behind him._  
  
_“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t know-”_  
  
_Tony looks over his shoulder with what he hopes is a friendly smile. He’s out of practice at this. “Legolas. Hey, don’t mind me. Come on up.”_  
  
_There’s a few seconds of indecision before Clint moves up the last couple stairs and lets the door fall closed behind him. He moves to sit on the ledge, pulling his legs up to cross them as he turns to look over the city. “Did Jarvis tell you I come up here?”_  
  
_Tony’s head tilts. “Is there a reason Jarvis should tell me that?”_  
  
_Clint doesn’t answer._  
  
_“You aren’t suicidal.” It’s not a question. Tony knows what suicidal looks like. His own life was close enough to death at one point that he is intimately acquainted with what suicidal looks like. Clint? He’s punishing himself by staying alive. Tony moves over to sit next to him on the ledge. It’s a few minutes before he speaks again. “I’m not going to tell you that it’s okay. That it wasn’t your fault and that he wouldn’t blame you. None of that makes it better. Makes it any more or less true.”_  
  
_Clint’s jaw clenches._  
  
_“I know a thing or two about being the reason people die. So… if you ever want to talk? Just talk. I don’t even have to talk back if you don’t want me to. But you’re in my house now. And I don’t like it when people are sad while they’re in my house. It’s unnatural.”_  
  
_Clint gives him a look that could almost be considered amused._  
  
_Tony pats him on the back, standing to head back down to the lab. “For what it’s worth, Agent Agent was a big boy. He made his own stupidass decisions. He would be very disappointed if he found out you were taking credit for his genius ideas.”_  
  
_Clint doesn’t answer, but his silence doesn’t feel angry or hostile._

 

“We’re not going to starve!”  
  
Thor chuckles. “I doubt we would have starved anyway. There is plenty of food on the ship. But this is a good addition to our other resources. They are probably better for our bodies than the instant food.”  
  
Sam shrugs. “Have you seen how much everyone eats? Including you, big guy.”  
  
Thor chuckles. “Fair point.” He pulls more of the melon-like fruit from the trees and tosses it into Sam’s bucket.  
  
“What are these, anyway?”  
  
Thor shrugs. “They have many names depending on which species you ask. I believe you were correct. Melon is an accurate description.” He tosses one to Rhodey when he comes around the trees, grinning when he catches it though he had no warning. “Melon?”  
  
Rhodey chuckles, tossing it up once and studying it. “Huh. It’ll be nice to have healthy food.” He jerks his head back towards the ship. “C’mon. We’re having a team meeting.” He takes one side of Sam’s bucket to make carrying the melons back to camp a bit less awkward. Thor, the showoff, carries his own back with ease.  
  
Tony is unwilling to be pulled away from the work he’s doing on the ship, so the team meeting ends up happening around his work station he’s set up. Natasha and Sam sit along the wing again as Coulson leans back against it with his shoulder resting against Natasha’s thigh. Thor leans against the side of the ship near the edge of the damage and Tony’s setup. Rhodey sits on the ground next to Tony, holding and handing things when needed.  
  
“We already know that Agent is going to veto any traveling. Why are we having a meeting?” Tony has lost a bit of his snark since the landing. The light jab at Coulson, the usual use of ‘Agent’ instead of his name, is almost a relief.  
  
“It’s always good to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Natasha chides gently. She nudges Phil’s shoulder with her knee.  
  
Phil nods. “I will stand against traveling,” he confirms. “I just wanted to get status updates from everyone.” He shrugs almost sheepishly. “Though I am technically your ‘handler’ on paper, I don’t usually do much handling anymore. But this… I want to make sure my tea-… my family is okay.” He meets Tony’s eyes when they find his, the genius finally pausing in his work.  
  
The snide remark that was on Tony’s lips, which honestly was nothing more than childish petulance and the need to strike out at someone in this frustrating nightmare, fizzles out. Phil doesn’t look like himself. His lean against Natasha is out of character for being somewhere other than the tower.  
  
It took Phil a long time to relax around them all. To realize that he doesn’t have to be their handler all the time and still receive the respect he needed to command on a mission. Inside the tower, he was just Phil. Outside of the tower he always transformed back into Agent Coulson. The most under-estimated member of the team. Besides Clint, anyway. He liked it that way. He could protect his team under the radar and keep them informed over their coms. Everyone liked it when Coulson’s calm, confident voice was in their ear on missions.  
  
But this Phil, standing in front of them now, was just Phil. T-shirt and jeans Phil. Could be caught sleeping on the couch in the common room with Clint on his chest, Phil. Facial hair Phil. Shadows under his eyes Phil. Tired Phil. The past two days have been rough on him too. And Clint… If they were all honest with themselves, Clint was the most vulnerable person on that ship. No super soldier serum. No arachnid enhancements. He was human. An extremely impressive human who probably has an ability equal to those with the x-gene… but human. Phil has as much reason as Natasha and Tony to be falling apart.  
  
Tony gives him a nod. Turns back to his work. “I’ve got to make some of my tools before I can start fixing.” He starts the sitrep process himself. It’ll make Phil feel better if he has a bit of a handle on where each of them stand. “I’m…” he sighs for the second time over the realization of what he’s going to do to the armor. “I’m going to be taking apart the armor. It has a lot of what I’ll need.” He freezes again, looking over to Rhodey. “I’ll try to hold out on yours as long as possible, but…”  
  
Rhodey shrugs. “Whatever you need, Tones.”  
  
Tony looks over to Thor. “You’ll be our big gun after that, bud.”  
  
Thor nods. “You know I would protect us all until my dying day.”  
  
Sam taps the wing with his knuckles to get their attention. “You know we have weapons too, right? Nat and I aren’t damsels in distress.”  
  
Tony finds it in himself to snort. “You know I respect your contribution to our team, Honeybun. But lets not kid ourselves into thinking we have what it takes to wield the power of Thor.”  
  
Rhodey frowns. “Honeybun?”  
  
Tony turns to grin at him. “Don’t worry, you’re still my only Platypus.”  
  
Rhodey sighs, looking to Sam. “Do you want ‘Platypus’? I think I might would rather have ‘Honeybun’. I can’t take him seriously when he says ‘Platypus’.”  
  
Tony lets out an indignant sound. “You can’t trade pet names. That’s not how it works.”  
  
It’s Natasha’s turn to rap her knuckles on the wing. She’s leaning to her left now, arm over Phil’s shoulders. “Focus, boys.”  
  
“We have found something akin to melons from your planet,” Thor adds. “We will not run out of food no matter how long we are here. Even if we run out of the rations Tony has provided on the ship.”  
  
Sam nods from next to Natasha. “I haven’t tasted them yet, but Thor assures me that they’re good.”  
  
Rhodey trades tools with Tony before turning back to the group. “Coulson and I were talking about stocking wood for fire. In case we have to ward off anything dangerous. Since Thor doesn’t know what could be living on this planet, it would be stupid to not assume that there could be something stronger than us.”  
  
Natasha nods. “Agreed.”  
  
“Not to mention our lack of knowledge about the weather on this planet. Who knows how drastically it could change,” Coulson adds.  
  
“It was a bit chilly on the ship last night.” Natasha frowns. “If it actually gets cold we’ll have to find a way to heat the inside.”  
  
“We’ll cross that bridge if we get to it.” Coulson looks back to Tony. “Is there anything you need from us?”  
  
Tony shakes his head, pausing in his work again. “Not right now.” He tries for a smile. “When I finally get things up to par, we’ll start going through tests.”  
  
Sam raises his hand. “I volunteer for that job. I haven’t been much help so far. I know my ins and outs of cockpits so I’ll be able to help there.”  
  
Tony nods. “Alright. Now everybody leave me alone.” He turns back to the mess in front of him. “I have shit to do.”  
  
Surprisingly? They do.  
  
The work is tedious and boring. It’s going to take days getting this side of the ship stripped down to the bare bones of working parts. There’s so much dead on the surface. His thoughts stray to Clint again, feeling guilty for the lack of thought he had towards his friend with the overwhelming worry he had for Steve and Peter. The slightest shine in Clint’s eyes when Peter was first handed over to him with the offhand comment of “staying with Uncle Clint tonight, buddy” from Tony is a precious memory. He never called Clint out on it, but he knows Clint had only then realized how much he had come to be part of Tony’s family.  
  
He had become Tony’s roof buddy. They were constantly up at the highest point of the tower, looking down on the world they both never really felt at home in. Not anymore. Clint was quiet a lot at first. Before Phil came back. After, it was like a switch had been flipped and the light was back in his eyes. He and Tony bonded even more after that, snark and jokes flying through the air with more love underneath than should be audible with the crass words.  
  
Tony realizes he wishes Clint were here too. He’d give anything to have Clint by his side right now both reassuring and annoying with his interruptions while he works. It… it would make things a lot easier to handle.  
  
“I'm worried about them too.”  
  
Tony startles, looking behind him to the wing where Sam is still… well he’s laying on the wing now. Looking up at the darkening sky. Tony chuckles. “Steve and Barnes left you behind again. Feeling sore, darling?”  
  
Sam huffs, but lets his head roll over to grin at him. “With a pretty thing like you here? Nah. They’ll be jealous when they get back and I have you wrapped around my finger.” He winks.  
  
Tony snorts. “Steve maybe. Barnes? You’re gonna have to wrap Natasha. I don’t envy you there.”  
  
A soft chuckle. “As if I’d try.” He’s quiet for a few minutes. Listening to Tony work. “Clint asked if I wanted to come with him to get them. I should have said yes.”  
  
“You’d be on that crashing ship then with nothing to do but watch Steve land it.” Tony pauses in his work again, turning to him. His voice is rough. “You’d just be another on the list of people we’re worried about.”  
  
Sam shrugs, letting that go. “Barnes and I had plans this weekend. We were going to a game. I bet he’s mad we’re gonna miss it.”  
  
Tony almost smiles. “I’ll buy you guys season passes when we get back.”  
  
Sam looks to him again with a wide grin. “I’ll drop that worker’s comp. suit if you do.”  
  
“Done. Don’t say I never give you anything.”  
  
Sam sighs. “I just miss my best friend. You stole Steve, so I had to settle for Barnes. I never gave you shit for that. You should be grateful.”  
  
“Oh and what a hardship. Best friends with the Winter Soldier. Don’t think I don’t know what you guys get up to.”  
  
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
  
“Mmhmm. New York is grateful for your contribution. I’ve never seen the streets so drug free. Do you two keep a tally over how many drug lords you send to the hospital?”  
  
“Natasha does it for us.”  
  
“Of course she does. Though I’m sure the whole thing was Barnes’ idea. A little undercover night action when he needs to burn off some steam.”  
  
Sam chuckles again. “Yeah. We haven’t been out in a while. I miss that too.”  
  
“You miss seeing your man-crush beat people up. Call it what it is, Wilson.” Tony turns back to his work with a snort when Sam looks over to him with a glare.  
  
Sam is proud enough that he almost got Tony to laugh that he lets it go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for following and for the kudos of encouragement. I'm glad I'm finally getting through this story. It's going to be longer than I thought because I'm insisting on fleshing out the characters and world these versions live in through this single story rather than splitting it up. Though I might post some of the flashbacks as oneshots as I go like I did with Lying Eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

_“How can you trust me?”_  
  
_Steve blinks, looking up in surprise when he realizes his model has finally noticed he was there. Well… this was who they called Hawkeye after all. He probably knew Steve was there as soon as he stepped into the room. Steve had been fully intending to put Tony’s gym through its paces, challenging everything Tony said would take his strength. But the sight of Clint going through his archery exercises caught his eye. He had sat down with his sketchpad in his hand and had half of a sketch started before he realized he was doing it. With a shrug, he had kept going._  
  
_Steve blinks again before mentally shaking himself back into the moment. “Should I not trust you?”_  
  
_Clint narrows his eyes at him. “Wouldn’t have taken you for the type to play dumb.”_  
  
_Steve shrugs. “It was a genuine question.”_  
  
_Clint seems to study him before seeing that it’s the truth. Now it’s his turn to blink. “Really? You really don’t see a reason to distrust me?”_  
  
_Steve shrugs again. “Natasha said you were back to normal. Normal seemed to be someone she trusted. If Natasha trusts you, far be it from me to not do the same. She doesn’t seem to trust anyone.” He goes back to sketching, not sure what to do with Clint’s heavy gaze on him. His pencil shades the curve to a bicep of one of the many figures on his page, all in various positions of drawing and releasing an arrow. “I’m not blind. I can see you’re a dangerous man, Clint.”_  
  
_Clint jerks just the tiniest bit in surprise._  
  
_Steve looks up with a wry grin. “No one else could have made the shots I just watched you make.” Tony had learned on the first day that he had to make the targets more challenging for Clint in order to keep him busy. Steve turns the sketchbook, finally letting Clint see._  
  
_All of the drawn figures have enough detail for Clint to recognize himself. Each one has a different aspect highlighted with more emphatic detail. Strong arms, straight back, capable hands. They’re all made of strong lines that speak of movement and force. They’re… gorgeous. Clint finds himself looking them over in wonder. He understands. This is how Steve sees him right now. Today, in this room, right this minute. None of them show a bit of malice._  
  
_“What you’ll notice,” Steve continues, “is that though this may look like a dangerous man, one that could take down anyone who poses a threat, he practices for precision. Precision means safety. Means I can trust that… this man? He won’t miss if I tell him to shoot something.” He puts the sketch down, meeting and holding Clint’s gaze when he looks back up. “Loki saw the same thing. But he took the heart out of the body and used the body to do his bidding.”_  
  
_Clint winces, looking away. “He said...” his breathing hitches and he hates himself for such an obvious sign of weakness, “He said I had heart.”_  
  
_Steve nods. “And he had to take it away if he was going to control you. But even without your heart, not a single extra person died that didn't need to. The ultimate proof that none of this was your own doing, is that no one died that he didn’t tell you to take care of. This dangerous man?” He taps on the sketch that lies on the bench. “He could have been so much more capable of killing than we saw. I was witness to that during the fight against the Chitauri. I couldn't even count how many of them fell because of you. That’s a far cry from the small number of victims on Fury’s list.”_  
  
_Clint almost seems to be trembling as he moves over to his bow case and puts it away after giving it a quick clean with reverent fingers. When he’s finally done, he looks back to Steve who is still sitting patiently, watching him. “Thank you.”_  
  
_It’s a blanket. A coverall. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for giving me a chance. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for letting me stay here. Thank you for giving me something to think about. Thank you for reassuring me. Thank you for giving me a different way to view myself. Thank you for allowing me to be a member of this team._  
  
_Steve gives him a smile. He stands, holding out a hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Clint Barton.”_

____

__

 

Clint’s hands shake as he washes them in the stream. He squeezes his eyes shut, taking a shuddering breath as he holds still for a few seconds. Breathes. When his eyes open again, he stares down at his bloody hands as they rest just under the surface of the water. Steve’s blood. He shudders. He wasn’t lying when he said he knew what he was doing. That doesn’t mean that it was easy.  
  
Holding Steve’s life in his hands was… it was damn terrifying. Steve had been the first one on the team besides Natasha to trust him. Steve gave Clint his place on the field with nothing more than Clint’s promise that he could be ready to go when they were. And after, there were no wary looks or suspicious glances. Steve had taken him into the team with open arms.  
  
Over the years, Clint had come to see Steve as the older brother he’d always wanted. Sometimes the best family isn’t blood related. Steve looked out for him as much as he trusted him. He cared about Clint’s happiness. His self-worth. He had been there for him when the weight of Phil’s death was pilling up to an unbearable weight and never said a word about any tears or shouts of anger. And after, when Phil was back, Steve never stopped asking about them. Genuinely checking in to make sure things were going well.  
  
He trained with Clint and relayed pointers about his equipment back to Tony. He matched Clint’s deadpan joking when off mission and berated him gently for it during them. He never even questioned leaving Peter with him to watch when needed and smiled when Tony called him “Uncle Clint” before starting to do the same. He never acknowledged Clint’s weak hearing as a liability or a flaw to worry about, using it as an excuse to make up silent signals as a strength for the whole team instead.  
  
Splashing water on his face, Clint scrubs his hands down it afterwards and shakes off the excess. Steve is going to be fine. Because Clint made sure he was going to be fine. He had done it. Cut Steve open, put him back together, and sewed him back up. He had made Peter go pale, had made Barnes go stiff and silent, but he had done what was needed to save his leader. His friend.  
  
He feels himself settle. He needs to be settled before going back to Peter and Barnes. It’s easy to see the both of them are just as shaken for different reasons. It wouldn’t do to add to their anxiety. He rolls his shoulders, standing again and heading back towards camp. He’ll freak out when he gets back to Phil.  
  
It’s dark now, the faint glow of the fire through the trees the only thing to lead him back to the others though he would have made it back without. “You okay?” Clint sits next to Peter when he gets back, looking Steve over.  
  
Peter nods once. He lets out a shuddering breath. “It was just a little close.”  
  
Clint nods. “I knew he’d be able to pull through, though.”  
  
Peter rubs his thumb over Steve’s wrist, still unwilling to let go of the reassuring feeling of his pulse under his fingers.  
  
It had gotten scary towards the end, Steve’s pulse slowing to a worrying speed and quickly fading as Clint was trying to finish stabilizing his rib. Wire would have been better, but all they had was thread for stitches. Which was just as well. It was the dissolving thread. Steve healed so fast, putting wires into his body almost seems like overkill. At least this way the foreign object would dispel itself.  
  
Clint used a complicated weave that held the two pieces together and would do so as long as they kept Steve horizontal for the next twenty four hours or so while it started to heal. Steve had started shifting to wake up before making a sharp sound of pain just as Clint had started stitching him up. He’d had to pause while Bucky knocked him out again, the sheer length of the incision Clint had to make to move his rib around too long to let Steve be awake through. If his heartbeat elevated, his blood flow increased. They needed to keep him out and calm.  
  
No ordinary human would have survived. Peter knows that. Can tell by the pale color in Steve’s cheeks that his father lost more blood than is safe. He also knows that Steve’s body will go into overdrive to fix itself, accounting for how hot he feels right now. He still worries. The fever lasting too long isn’t good either.  
  
Clint hums to himself. “In the morning we should try to get him to eat two meals. He’ll need to help his body replace the blood he lost.” He grabs their water bottles. He had been too desperate to get the blood off his hands earlier to think of anything else. “He’ll need lots of water too. I’ll go fill these again.”  
  
Peter sits with Steve a bit longer before turning to see Bucky with his back to them, still sitting in front of the fire like a statue. With one last light press to Steve’s pulse to reassure himself, Peter lets go and moves to comfort his uncle. “Bucky.” He sits close, pressing his shoulder into Bucky’s.  
  
Bucky takes a shuddering breath. “Hey.”  
  
“He’s alright.”  
  
Bucky nods once.  
  
Peter stays quiet. Waits for him to start talking himself.  
  
Eventually, he does. It’s quiet. “It’s different, you know? In hospitals, the worrying is set on one thing. ‘Are they okay?’ Out here… Clint and I were it. There was no one else to help if things went wrong. We don’t have the equipment for a blood transfusion. The worry was… overwhelming.”  
  
Peter rests his head on Bucky’s shoulder. “I get it.”  
  
Bucky chuckles. “I had a million possibilities running through my head. A million worries on if I was keeping out of Clint’s way as he worked and if I was causing more damage. If Clint knew what he was doing. If it would work. I’m glad I’m not a doctor. It’s stressful.”  
  
Peter smiles a little. “You did a fine job.” He looks down when he sees Bucky’s hands move.  
  
There’s still a little blood in the crevices of his metal hand. Steve’s blood. Bucky has broken a lot of bones in many different bodies in his life, but feeling the snap of that single rib will sit with him forever. It takes just a bit more force to break Steve’s bones than it would for normal people, but the ease at which he was able to… Feeling how breakable Steve is… It was unsettling. “We know he can bleed an excessive amount without dying. But this… he doesn’t get any help to recover.”  
  
“That’s why Clint went to get more water and we’ll make sure he eats two of the MREs. It’ll help his body get back on track.”  
  
“He’ll need more calories than that. Take one of mine to put in his stash for him to eat two the next time too. Don’t let him know. Let him think it’s one of his.”  
  
Peter lifts his head from his uncle’s shoulder and sits back. You sure?”  
  
Bucky nods, turning to him with a crooked grin. “Punk needs to eat. I don’t want him arguing. He’ll want to keep moving so he’ll pack in the calories to get his body going without stopping to question if we’d sneak one of ours in with his.”  
  
Peter nods. “True. But no matter how much of a hurry he’s in, he’s not getting up until tomorrow night at the earliest. And no traveling until the day after.”  
  
Bucky chuckles. “You read my mind, kid. Don’t worry. He’s come back from worse.”  
  
Peter shudders. “I know. I don’t think it will ever get easier, though.”  
  
“No. No, it doesn’t.” Bucky looks over to his friend’s pale form. “But each time hope is a little stronger. When someone bounces back so often, it gets easier to believe that they’’ll be able to do it again.”  
  
It took longer than any of them predicted for Steve to wake up. During the last hours, all of them were worried that something went wrong. That the blood loss did affect him greater than expected. But he did finally wake, just as early morning light started to rise in the sky. Lifted his head enough to reassure them all that he was lucid and recovering before drinking, eating a single meal, and falling back to sleep. Peter finally gets a few hours of sleep next to him.  
  
It isn’t until hours after that, that Steve wakes up long enough to get two more MREs down, slow and steady with the struggle of not being able to move more than his head. He only dished out a little bit of grumbling before he let Peter keep feeding him. The worse part came after when Bucky had to help him relieve himself. Decon showers aside, they all did their best to keep some semblance of privacy in a family that was all too familiar with how thin their paper walls were. All heads were turned, but it was still awkward.  
  
“How long have I been out?” His voice is rough. He clears it, gratefully taking the water Clint hands him.  
  
Bucky’s head tilts. Looks to Clint. “Almost twenty-four hours?”  
  
Clint nods. “About twenty. It’ll start getting dark again soon.”  
  
Steve groans.  
  
Peter rests his hand gently on Steve’s forearm. “All the time spent here is just more time we’re keeping you from hurting. Not a second of it is wasted.”  
  
Steve slides his arm back to take Peter’s hand in his. “I know. I do. I just…”  
  
Clint has always been smarter than he acts. “Steve. How far are we?”  
  
Steve’s eyes fall closed again. He doesn’t sigh, only because it would have hurt. “Far.”  
  
“That’s not an answer.” Clint’s voice isn’t angry. It’s resigned. He already knows that he isn’t going to like it.  
  
It takes him a few minutes. No one presses. When Steve finally opens his eyes again, they lock straight onto Clint’s. “From the readings that were compiling as we landed, this piece of land we crashed on is about the size of Asia. And we’re…“ he breaks eye contact, “we’re almost on the opposite end as the rest.”  
  
Bucky lets out a sigh of his own. Steve is almost jealous. “So we’re talking… what? Weeks? I already know it’s going to take a while.”  
  
“I’ve been trying to decide on a close estimate. I think I’m finally settling on… eight. Seven at the best.”  
  
Clint lets out a low string of curses.  
  
“Yeah.” Steve tries to smile. “But we’ll get there. That’s all that matters. And we know they won’t leave without us.”  
  
Bucky nods. “They’ll come look for us if we take too long and they get the ship fixed. I only hope they give us that much time to get back. I don’t know how badly their ship was damaged but if they finish too soon, we might be arriving to an empty site.”  
  
Clint hums in thought at that. “Phil won’t let them do that without leaving someone behind in case we get there. He’s always been one for staying in place until there was word on where and when to move.”  
  
Peter hums now. “But that all won’t matter if Dad can’t fix the ship.” He blinks at the shocked stares he gets. “What? I know he’s good but what if there’s something he can’t do without a certain tool? Like you said, we aren’t sure how bad their ship was damaged. It could be too bad to get off the ground.”  
  
Steve huffs out a weak chuckle. “If there’s anything I know about Tony, it’s that he could get our scrap heap we left behind off the ground if he chose to try hard enough. Don’t worry. We’ll get home.”  
  
They get another MRE down Steve before he falls asleep again.  
  
Peter puts the back of his hand to Steve’s forehead, letting out a sigh when he feels his temperature is returning back to normal.  
  
Clint gives him a soft smile. “He’s going to be fine.”  
  
Peter pulls him into a tight hug.  
  
After a few seconds of shock, Clint’s arms settle around Peter’s shoulders. He tightens them when he feels the minute shudder. He feels guilt slither in at how long it’s been since he’s hugged his nephew. “We’ve got you, kid.”  
  
Peter nods against his neck. “I know. Thanks”  
  
“You don’t thank family for helping you. That’s our job. I know everyone has been a bit scattered for the past few years, but you can always call us if you need anything. You know that, right?”  
  
Peter nods again, but doesn’t let go.  
  
Clint shares a fond grin with Bucky over Peter’s shoulder. “I’ve missed you too, kid. I’ll make sure to stop by the tower more often once we’re back. Deal? Phil has been antsy without keeping his eye on everyone anyway.”  
  
Peter finally pulls back, laughing. “Deal. And I miss him too. Haven’t seen him for a while.”  
  
The golden years for many children is when the family comes together. A lot of times its because of the children themselves. As they grow older, families start to drift away. Time and energy to come together gets harder to pull together. In the lives of the Avengers? Things got rough. More people, new recruits, saving the world. The team is larger now. Peter’s extended family could include countless others. Some crash at the tower every once in a while, but most prefer to have their own homes. But his original family? The first to love him? He misses them more often lately.  
  
Clint reaches up to give a gentle pat to Peter’s cheek before cupping it. “I know, Petey. We’ve actually been talking about moving back in. We’d rather be where the backup is. It’s getting harder to bounce back these days and, if we’re being honest, a quiet apartment isn’t as nice as the idea sounded.”  
  
Bucky chuckles. “I told you, you’d miss us.”  
  
“You? No. My second favorite human right here? Yes.”  
  
Peter snorts. “Please. Everyone knows that Tony is your second favorite human.”  
  
Clint grins with a shrug. “I guess it’s true enough. Back in the day, Phil even thought he had competition before I assured him Tony was mooning after Steve.”  
  
Bucky sighs and stands to go get more wood for the night’s fire. “Speaking of Steve, none of us got any real sleep last night because of that punk. Let’s make sure we get some tonight so we’ll be ready to move on when he no doubt forces himself to his feet.”  
  
Peter smiles softly, looking down at Steve. He lets out a breath, his chest finally loosening.


	8. Chapter 8

_She wakes up to a dark room, the “Lights!” she calls out coming out strangled. Jarvis complies immediately, a soft glow filling the space as she tries to level her breathing. She doesn’t dream often. Or doesn’t remember them. She doesn’t know if she believes the ‘you dream every night’ people say when she dreams barely two or three times a year. Tonight though…_  
  
_“Nat.”_  
  
_Natasha’s gaze snaps to the chair by the window, breath coming easier when she sees she’s not alone. “ Там вы.“ There you are._  
  
_He smiles a little. “Это нормально.“ It’s okay._  
  
_“Why are you over there?” she asks softly, finally switching back to English. Russian is their secret language. What they speak when they only want to speak with each other. In their room, it’s rarely used. They already have whatever privacy they need here._  
  
_Bucky shrugs one shoulder a little. “I didn’t know what you would want,” he offers softly._  
  
_This thing between them isn’t all that new anymore, but they’re both cautious people. Revealing more and more about themselves as they go. It’s a solid relationship, but it’s one based on mutual respect for the fact that they have a lot to work on if they want to be together. Like their shared past._  
  
_Natasha understands why he looks nervous. “What did I say?”_  
  
_His grin turns deprecating. “My name. Stop. Other bad stuff. It wasn’t hard to figure out.” He looks out the window, at half opacity to dull the brightness of the city lights. “I wish I could remember everything I did to hurt people. It’d be easier to fix then.”_  
  
_She’s quiet. Then, “I don’t dream about you hurting me.” It’s soft. Like a secret. “I never have. I’d see your face in them sometimes. The few dreams I have. But it was never you hurting me. It’s like I knew.”_  
  
_Bucky tilts his head, leaning forward in the chair to rest his elbows on his knees but doesn’t move to go to her yet. “Then why…?”_  
  
_She shrugs, looking out the window now too. “Our last mission.”_  
  
_Bucky frowns, thinking. When it clicks, he feels his chest clench. “Nat.”_  
  
_“It was just a little too close,” she murmurs. “For a second, I thought…”_  
  
_Bucky is suddenly in front of her, sitting on the bed. He reaches out, flesh hand touching her cheek. “I’m okay.”_  
  
_She turns into the touch, comfortable now with showing weakness in front of him. “I know.”_  
  
_“I really only would have lost another arm. Stark would have been excited.”_  
  
_She rolls her eyes, reaching for his metal hand that still rests in his own lap. Running her fingers over it, she smiles a little. “That wouldn’t have been so bad.” She looks up with a smirk. “Keep losing limbs and eventually you actually could be Robocop. Tony won’t just be joking anymore.”_  
  
_Bucky huffs. “You pick the weirdest times to have a sense of humor.”_  
  
_“You are not the first person to tell me that.”_  
  
_His chuckle is warm and fond. He nods towards the pillows. “Let’s go back to sleep, huh?”_

____

  


 

Sam finds that Natasha sleeps curled up in one of the pilot’s seats. She’s always curled with the chair turned towards the window, eyes immediately seeing anything that may happen outside when she opens them. One night, he finally asks. “You keeping watch for them?”  
  
Her voice is soft when she answers. “Clint was always my eyes. He kept watch. I’m feeling his absence more acutely out here in a strange land that may be hiding strange or evil creatures.” She finally turns to him with a small smile. “And James likes to come through windows. I’ve gotten used to keeping my eye on them.”  
  
Sam chuckles. “So I’ve noticed.” Nine times out of ten, Bucky would show up in Sam’s house without the front door even being unlocked. It was no surprise when he would find a window left open on nights when the weather was comfortable.  
  
“I know they won’t be back for a while, but I still feel better where I can see.” She gives a small shrug.  
  
It’s been a few days now. Everyone has gotten quieter with each passing day. Tensions rise and fall as tempers rear their heads. Arguments flare up fast but they never last long. It’s hard to keep up a fight when they realize that… this is it. This is the only family that is guaranteed to them right now. All they have at the moment is each other. If they forget that, then all is lost before they’ve had a chance to get it back.  
  
Rhodey and Sam have shared more worried looks over the past few days than the past few years combined. They’re floundering. Keeping their team afloat when their own worry is starting to sink in is exhausting. They can only tell themselves they aren’t as close to the situation for so long. To say they care any less than the rest for the passengers of that other ship would be a lie.  
  
The cause of most of those glances is currently swaying on his feet.  
  
“Tony, c’mon.”  
  
An ineloquent grunt.  
  
“You need to sleep. You haven’t slept since we left home.”  
  
“I can’t.”  
  
Rhodey sighs, rubbing his eyes. It’s been a long time since he’s had to be the one to drag Tony to bed. “Can’t or wont?”  
  
“Both, okay?” Tony takes off his gloves and throws them to the ground. “Both. I can’t…”  
  
Rhodey stares as Tony runs a hand up through his hair, causing the unruly mess to look even worse. “Hey. Talk to me. What’s wrong?” He moves forward, hands gently curling around his biceps to pull him to stand in front of him. Looking down, the rush of fondness he always feels washes over him. Tony’s height used to be a sore point. But Rhodey has always liked how it made him feel like he could easily curl over and protect Tony when needed. “Besides the obvious, anyway.”  
  
“The numbers won’t stop,” Tony finally breathes. He looks up, red rimmed eyes meeting his friend’s in desperation. “Before Steve, it was always like this. Projects got done because they wouldn’t leave me alone. Ideas and numbers were always running through my head. But…” he shrugs helplessly, “Steve always made them stop. My mind would quiet. I could go to sleep because he was there to make sure everything was okay. I didn’t always have to…”  
  
“You didn’t have to keep everything together on your own,” Rhodey finishes for him. He smiles softly. It was always easy to see how Steve affected Tony, but to hear just how much he calmed the naturally manic mind inside the man… Rhodey almost loves Steve himself. He sighs, pulling Tony into his arms.  
  
“It’s worse though,” Tony mumbles into his chest.  
  
“Tell me.”  
  
“All I can think about are the percentages. Probabilities. The data on the supersoldier serum. The tests on Peter's abilities. Clint's medical files. Human survival statistics from plane crashes. Of them making it here. Our navigation system was failing as we were crashing so we may not even know where we are compared to them once I get it back online.” His voice fades as he talks, exhaustion and pain taking their toll.  
  
Rhodey doesn’t know what to say. He tightens his hold around Tony’s shoulders and just holds on. After a minute he asks, “Are they all bad probabilities?”  
  
With a shudder, Tony sighs. “No. Not all of them.”  
  
A soft hum. “Then you hold on to those good ones. You hear me? If all you focus on are the bad ones, it’ll destroy you.”  
  
Tony lets out a sharp laugh, no part of it happy. He finally pulls back enough to look up at his oldest friend. “None of those good probabilities ever include Steve. No matter how I run the numbers.”  
  
Rhodey tries for a grin. “Steve has a tendency to defy the odds.”  
  
Tony only sighs, letting his head fall back down to rest on Rhodey’s shoulder. “Everyone’s luck runs out eventually. I can’t always expect Steve to laugh in the face of death.”  
  
Rhodey lets Tony wallow in his worry for a few more minutes before murmuring, “Just try to sleep. For me?”  
  
He gets him to rest for a few hours at least before he’s up again and heading back outside.  
  
They both wave to Phil on the way back out who is making note of the day’s activities in his notebook in the main room. He’s made it his mission to keep tabs on everything that happens for when they get back. No one is sure whether this is supposed to make him feel like he’s doing something useful, or to keep his mind busy for at least a few minutes without dwelling on his missing team members. In the end, most of them decide it would be useful to have a record of their doings to relay to the chain of command back home.  
  
Thor nods to them as they pass, done with his shift to watch. He doesn’t speak unless spoken to these days. It’s odd. They all hate it.  
  
Worry is a constant hum around their ship. It’s become a familiar, steady thrum of anxiety that never leaves, but it stays level and manageable until a few days in when it suddenly has a reason to spike.  
  
“What the hell is that?”  
  
It’s dark, the light source for this planet having moved out of visible rotation hours ago. Tony is working on the ship while Rhodey and Sam rotate between playing a game of cards and lending an extra hand to Tony whenever he asks. They’re currently back to their card game when it’s Sam who asks the question, eyes straining through the darkness to a pair of glowing specks at the edge of the trees.  
  
Rhodey follows his gaze, muscles bunching up in a flow of tension when he sees what Sam is looking at. “Aw, hell.” He doesn’t look away as he raises his voice just high enough for Tony to take notice. “Hey, Tones?”  
  
An ineloquent grunt.  
  
“Tony. We need Thor out here. Now.”  
  
Sam let’s out a soft curse when the glowing moves closer. “Right now.”  
  
“What are you-” Tony turns from his work with blatant irritation. It drains from his face when he sees the stiff way Sam and Rhodey are slowly putting their cards down and reaching for their guns they always have holstered on their hips. He follows their gaze with his own eyes and lets out a soft noise of understanding. “Yeah, you know what? I think I’ll go get him.”  
  
He moves slowly towards the door of the ship, doing his best to seem nonchalant. They don’t know how intelligent these creatures are. “Hey, Thor? Buddy?” He’s more grateful than ever that the door to the ship is left open whenever any of them are outside. That constant level of anxiety makes separation more difficult. He lets out a sigh when Thor meets him in the doorway. “We have some uninvited guests.”  
  
Thor looks out over his shoulder, face moving through curiosity, worry, and fear before settling on determination. “I’ll go figure out what kind of creatures these are. Whether they are friend or foe.”  
  
Natasha shows up at his side, gun already in hand. “I’m thinking foe.”  
  
They can’t see anything clearly. The sharp contrast between the work lights Tony uses and the darkness surrounding the ship keeps them from seeing anything notable. However, for a group of trained fighters, it’s impossible not to notice the stalking movements as the creature moves closer. The closer it gets, the easier it is to see how large it is.  
  
Phil comes up next to Natasha as Thor moves down the stairs of the ship. “It’s big.” His own gun is in his hand.  
  
She nods once. “It’s a hunter.”  
  
Sam and Rhodey finally stand as Thor moves out to take point. Sam puts himself between Thor and the door to the ship while Rhodey goes to stand in front of Tony. He calls back softly to Natasha and Phil. “I might be calling the suit soon. Be ready to get out of the way.”  
  
“Roger that.” It’s Agent Coulson now, no less the man in the suit even when not wearing one. “Let’s see if confrontation is necessary first.” When another set of reflective orbs appears not much farther back than the first, he lets out a low groan. “On second thought, you might want to just call it.”  
  
Sam’s intake of breath when the first figure steps out of the darkest shadows echoes in the stunned silence. Nothing can be seen clearly, but the stalking creature is the manifestation of malice. White teeth suddenly glint in the light, almost floating against the blackness.  
  
“Tony get inside.” Rhodey’s voice is tight. “Coulson move.”  
  
The low whine of a gauntlet powering up fills the silence around them. “Don’t count me out yet, sugar plumb.”  
  
Thor straightens his shoulders and meets the eyes of the shadowy creature in front of him. Now that it’s closer, he can see that it is an animal, nothing that can be reasoned with. He only offers a warning, though he doubts it will understand. “If you’ve come to fight, a fight you shall have.”  
  
He only gets a low rumble in reply, an odd sound that makes the hairs on his arms stand on end.  
  
Sam lets out a low curse.  
  
The creature leaps.  
  
They never do get a good look, both creatures keeping out of the light. Whether it’s smart enough to know that shadows can hide its movements or because the gunfire keeps it from getting any closer is up in the air. Whatever the reason, by the time a hard hit by Tony’s repulsors send them scattering they still don’t know what they were truly up against.  
  
“It looked like a mix between a jungle cat and a wolf.” Sam shudders as he sits in the seat next to Natasha where she’s going through her weapons. “Feline and canine mixed together could be a deadly mix.”  
  
Coulson frowns. “To compare it to anything from earth would be limiting it. We have no idea what they could be capable of.”  
  
“I agree.” Rhodey looks to Tony. “You’re going to need the War Machine armor for sure?”  
  
Tony gives a one-shouldered shrug in apology. “If it makes you feel any better, it hurts me too.”  
  
“I will take more watch shifts,” Thor offers. “We should double up. No one keeping watch alone.”  
  
Natasha nods. “Agreed.”  
  
Coulson nods as well. “In the meantime, lets stay inside for the night. It wouldn't be wise to tempt fate twice in one night.”  
  
Sam points to Tony. “That means that you can try to get more sleep.”  
  
Tony rolls his eyes, letting Rhodey pull him from his chair and towards the rooms. “You’re a menace, Samuel.” There’s no real bite in it. He knows there’s no way he’s going to be allowed outside anymore tonight.  
  
The room clears after that, everyone deciding to catch up on sleep while they’re all safely inside with the doors shut tight. Everyone except for Coulson and Natasha.  
  
“You look like you’re thinking up a bad idea.” Coulson’s voice is soft but sure. He can see the gears working behind Natasha’s eyes. He's had a lot of practice.  
  
She looks to him. “We should be looking for them.”  
  
Phil frowns. “I said a _bad_ idea, not a terrible one. You know better than that. We don’t go looking for someone looking for us. We stay put.” Though he knows it too, it’s painful to say.  
  
“They’re out there without any secure shelter and no replacement for any weapon that may break or when they run out of ammunition. We need to-”  
  
“No.”  
  
Natasha’s jaw clenches. Her constant calm is starting to fade. “Phil…”  
  
“Tony’s started taking apart the armor for parts for the ship yesterday. And Rhodey won’t leave Tony defenseless.”  
  
“Then we take Thor.”  
  
“And leave the rest without protection when Tony finally has to take apart the War Machine armor? Even I can tell from looking at the mess of our ship that it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.”  
  
She looks away.  
  
“Natasha.” Phil sighs, leaning forward in his chair to rest his elbows on his knees. “You know the best option is to stay put. Do whatever we can to make sure we’re prepared for when they come back. It’s a mission without an extraction point. We wait for contact. Then we act.”  
  
She knows he’s right. He’s always right. And she knows how hard this is for him too. Clint had his solo missions just like she did. She’s sat back at mission control with Coulson in her sights as he kept round-the-clock vigil on their control center team as they waited for Barton to make contact. She knows exactly how many hours of sleep he’s lost and how many folders of paperwork he powered through to keep his mind off of each second that ticked by. Out here, there isn’t even that. He’s as bereft as she is. Yet he’s not backing down.  
  
Neither should she.  
  
She takes a deep breath in, shoulders squaring off again as she lets it out. She nods once.  
  
Coulson nods back. “We do what we’ve always done when contact was impossible. We trust him to make it to us.”  
  
She understands that the ‘him’ is for all of them. Each of them know how to make contact when needed. Each of them would do whatever it took to get back when separated. Even young Peter has grown into his own as a super hero. They need to trust that they’ll make it back, just like any other time back on earth. She lets out a sigh. Besides, who’s to say that these creatures have any other territory than where their own ship happens to have landed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for such a long wait. This chapter has literally sat on the editing page for days because I kept falling asleep while trying to format it. I finally made through. Thanks for sticking with me!


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